


Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Reflecting Balance

by DarkerShining



Category: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2018-09-17 11:09:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 55
Words: 261,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9320876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkerShining/pseuds/DarkerShining
Summary: While exploring a forest, a Shinx and an Eevee find and befriend an amnesiac Mienfoo. The Mienfoo joins their rescue team in hopes of finding his lost memory, and ends up getting involved in the search for the crystals from Axis Tower, which have been stolen and scattered across the region.





	1. Just because one can't see something, it doesn't mean it is not there.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! You may have already seen this story on Serebii.forums or on FF.net. Well, now you'll be able to read it here too! The story is up to 50 chapters on the other two sites where I've posted it and still on-going, so it'll probably be a while before this catches up to that. As I finish new chapters, I normally upload them on Saturdays. Not sure if I'll just stick to that here and upload one chapter a week... We'll see.
> 
> This story started out with a particular what-if? scenario that came to mind while some friends and I were brainstorming ideas for an arc in an RP, and I began developing the rest of the plot and characters from there. Some characters were "recycled" from character concepts for stories I never got around to writing, as I had made previous attempts at fic writing that never got anywhere. This time however, I wouldn't give up.
> 
> Finally, the day came when I finally posted the first chapter of my first fanfic on Serebii.forums. It wasn't anything amazing, but I'd finally done it, and according to my reviewers, there was definitely potential there. As I continued to write and my writing skills improved, I eventually began putting up the story on FF.net as well, revising the first few chapters to make them flow better with the writing in later chapters. Several of my plans for the story also changed along the way, and I feel most of these changes have definitely been for the better. It's been a lot of fun so far, and I look forward to writing more new chapters, and hopefully write other fanfics in the future!
> 
> Well, I guess that's enough about the story of how this story came to be and stuff. Whether you've already read this story on one of the other sites where I've put it on, or if you're a new reader, I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to leave a comment/review/whatever about what you think about it! Anyways, here's the first chapter!

 Lightning flashed and rain poured down from the dark clouds filling the night sky. One wouldn't expect anyone to be out on a dark and stormy night like this, yet a strange flying Pokémon which resembled a big orb with fork-like wings and talons, as well as a tail resembling a fork, was flying over a forest. The odd looking flying Pokémon snickered to itself as it kept its gaze on the forest below, looking for another Pokémon that was hiding from him.

"Where are you, little one?" the strange Pokémon asked, trying to use psychic powers it possessed to locate the other Pokémon. "I _will_ find you, and then I will make you pay for trying to interfere in my little game!"

In the forest below, a small Pokémon wearing a gray cloak felt its heart jump as the Sigilyph called out to it. It just hoped the Sigilyph wouldn't find its hiding spot in some bushes before it could think of a plan to escape, and to protect the transparent crystal it was currently holding onto tightly. It knew it wasn't strong enough to fight back against the Sigilyph, and so it had chosen to use most of its energy to instead prevent the Sigilyph from stealing the crystal, and then run away. However, it was far from over, as the Sigilyph had chased after the gray cloaked Pokémon in order to take the crystal from it.

Suddenly, a pitch black ball of energy from above flew towards the bushes where the Pokémon in the gray cloak was hiding, forcing the smaller Pokémon to jump out of the way to avoid the attack, dropping the crystal it had been protecting on the ground in the process. While it managed to avoid being hit with the Shadow Ball attack, it had also been forced out from the bushes it had been hiding in, and was now laying on the ground in plain sight of the Sigilyph hovering above the forest.

"There you are…" the Sigilyph began ominously hovering down towards the Pokémon in the gray cloak. "I've already taken the other seven, so just give up and hand over the last one!"

The Pokémon in the gray cloak shakily got back on its feet, nervously backing away from the advancing Sigilyph, only to trip on something it couldn't see on the ground. It tried to quickly get back up again, only for gravity's pull to suddenly intensify and forcing it back down. It frantically tried to find a way to free itself, only to see the Sigilyph hovering directly above it, two glowing eyes on the orb-like body and a third on what appeared to be the Sigilyph's beak staring down at the helpless Pokémon below it.

"Well, this was a fun little chase, wasn't it?" the Sigilyph said, snickering as it closed in on the gray cloaked Pokémon on the ground. "But I think punishing you for trying to interfere in my plans will be even more fun..."

* * *

A beautiful sunrise was signalling the start of a new day in a small town called Fenix Town, and the Pokémon inhabiting the town were getting up and making the necessary preparations for the day. The Pokémon in charge of the various shops and services in town had already removed the covers protecting their stands from the rain and were currently setting things up before their regular customers would show up. Many of the buildings in Fenix Town were made from stone, although some of the newer ones were built from wood. There were also wooden poles set up with a special gemstone tied to the top of them, which would absorb sunlight during the day and would then glow once it got dark out.

While the sun rose higher into the sky and spread more light throughout the area, more and more Pokémon were showing up and rescue teams came into town to make preparations for the missions that awaited them. Some rescue teams had already decided their missions for the day, while others were making preparations before deciding what they were going to do. Some of the rescue team leaders that had already decided which missions their team was going to handle today were discussing their plans for the day, while waiting to get to purchase some items at the shop.

"Hmm… Seems I don't have enough money, so I guess I'll have to put this Reviver Seed back," a Pokémon resembling a giant wasp said as he looked over the items he had purchased. A nearby dark furred fox overheard.

"Don't you hate it when that happens?" the fox inquired. "Of course, one won't run into the problem that often if one takes on missions with higher rewards."

"It's not about the rewards, you know," the Beedrill buzzed. "Even if I don't get a reward, the most important thing to me is knowing I was able to help someone."

"So, wait… Didn't you get anything from that Armaldo you helped yesterday?" the Zoroark asked, tilting her head slightly.

"No, I did not, but I'm fine with that," the Beedrill responded. "The Armaldo felt kind of bad about not having any reward for me, but I told him not to worry about it."

"Sting sure has the right attitude about being on a rescue team, doesn't he?" another dark furred Pokémon commented as he walked over to the other two rescue team leaders.

"Well, sure, that's nice and all, but I prefer missions that I know I can make a good profit from!" The Zoroark stated, smirking as she looked at a piece of paper. "Like this mission here; some Glaceon is paying good money if I can help him find a present for some Espeon that I assume is his girlfriend!"

"Ooh! A mission of love!" the Umbreon exclaimed, excitedly wagging his tail. "Those are my favorite missions!"

"So, let me guess what _you're_ doing today…" the Zoroark said to the Umbreon with a slight smirk across her face. "Escorting some Pokémon through a dungeon to see the one they love, again?"

"Oh, you've got that right!" the Umbreon nodded, blushing somewhat with a dreamy look on his face. "Today I'm escorting a Dunsparce into the Lush Valley so he can meet with his beloved Purrloin! Isn't it romantic? Young love is _so_ wonderful."

"What's this about young love?" a young female voice inquired, the three rescue team leaders looked over to see two young Pokémon, a brown furred Pokémon with long pointy ears and a fluffy tail, and a lion cub Pokémon with blue fur on the upper half of his body, and black fur on the lower half.

"We weren't talking about you two or anything like that," the Zoroark commented with a slight smirk.

"What do you mean by that?" the blue lion cub inquired, finding this to be a very strange thing to say.

"Relax, I'm just kidding!" the Zoroark said, petting the young Shinx on the head. "We were just talking about what missions we've done recently, and what we plan to do today."

"Oh…" the Shinx said, rubbing the yellow rings on his forelegs against each other, creating blue sparks of electricity between them. He still didn't understand why the Zoroark said such a strange thing earlier. Maybe she was just curious about what kind of reactions she'd get?

"So, what mission are the two of you taking on today?" Sting asked.

"Don't know yet!" the brown furred Pokémon replied, the Eevee happily wagging her fluffy tail. "Before we do head out on a mission, though, we first have an errand to run for Stella."

"Ooh, the town oracle?" the Zoroark inquired, before leaning down and pulling the two young Pokémon as if to whisper something to them. "Say, could you do me a favor and ask her if I'll find any big treasures in the future? Like gold, or coins, or gold coins…"

"Forget _that_!" the Umbreon blurted out. "Ask her about love! Find out which Pokémon will get together in the near future!"

"Is that all you two care about?" Sting asked, giving the two a quizzical look.

"Hey, Mirage may only think about money, but everyone needs love!" the Umbreon responded.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean!?" Mirage shouted, looking rather annoyed.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the Umbreon replied, backing away slightly. "I didn't mean to imply that you're-"

As Mirage attempted to pounce at the Umbreon, Sting had to intervene in order to keep her from making too big a scene in the middle of town. Sting held Mirage in place while the Umbreon attempted to apologize, while at the same time recommending her to find a boyfriend and mentioning a few Pokémon in town that he believed could be a good match. The Shinx and the Eevee just stared at the odd scene in front of them, before the Eevee decided it was probably better to just walk away.

"Hey, Blitz, let's get out of here," she whispered to the Shinx.

"Okay, Sera," the Shinx responded, nodding his head in agreement.

The two then quietly slipped away, and continued heading towards the east exit of town, so they could go see Stella and deliver what they had promised.

* * *

Stella's home was just a short walk away from the town, and like the buildings in the town, it was built from stone. It was probably a bit older than the other buildings, and was taller than the other buildings, even having a second floor. There was also a hole in the roof, where one could see stars at night without having to go outside. Said hole would of course be covered up if it was raining, like during that storm the previous night. Stella the Gothitelle was currently explaining some things to her daughter, a young Gothorita that had started to receive visions of the future.

"Bow, for many generations now, a member of our family has been in the position of town oracle," Stella explained, as each of the white ribbon-like feelers on the layers of Stella's black dress-like body started glowing.

Bow the Gothorita nodded her head slightly, briefly glancing down at the two ribbon-like feelers she herself had on her dress-like body. Bow then reached the fingerless tip of her hand towards one of the two buns she had on the sides of her head, which made it look like she had pigtails. Both buns had two ribbon-like feelers on them, and Bow was trying to reach one of them while also trying to pay attention to what her mother was saying. However, once her hand touched against the feeler, she was distracted by how pleasantly warm it felt to touch. Was it always that warm, or was it warm because she had been using her psychic powers earlier?

Stella noticed that her daughter was starting to lose her concentration, but figured Bow would catch herself before she completely zoned out. If nothing else, what Stella was about to do next would get her attention. Stella's eyes started to glow, and she used telekinesis to levitate herself, which immedietly caused Bow to turn her attention back to her mother. Bow watched in awe as Stella began projecting an image of a starry sky onto the walls around them.

"Our powers comes from the stars, as we will receive most of our visions from them at night. From these visions, we can gain wisdom to share with the Pokémon that seek it," as Stella finished this explaination, the starry sky projection suddenly disappeared, startling Bow for a moment.

"Bow," Stella said, as she slowly floated back down to the floor. "Someday, you will take my place as the oracle, and Pokémon will come to seek your wisdom."

"They will?" Bow tilted her head slightly.

"Of course," Stella nodded, looking into her daughter's blue eyes.

"I… find that kind of hard to believe," Bow said, looking down at her legs. "I mean, I'm not very wise, or anything…"

"That may be how it seems to you now, but I know you have great potential," Stella replied, placing her light purple hand on her daughter's shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you will grow up to be a great town oracle."

"But… I'm also kind of forgetful, you know?" Bow said, still keeping her gaze on her feet. "What good would I be as an oracle if I can't even remember my visions?"

"I think that is something you'll eventually grow out of," Stella responded. "And if not, one can always write things down and keep notes."

"I kind of already tried something like that, but then I forgot where I left the thing I wrote something down on," Bow responded, looking down sheepishly.

Stella couldn't help but chuckle a little bit, only to stop as she noticed her daughter's embarrassment over the whole thing. Before Stella could offer her daughter anymore advice, or do anything else for that matter, Stella felt a presence from downstairs, two presences actually.

"Ah, we have visitors," Stella said, and began walking down the stone stairs to the first floor, Bow following closely behind.

"Stella?" Sera called out as she and Blitz entered the house, pushing away the curtain covering a hole in the stone wall that was essentially the front door. It didn't take long before Stella and Bow came down the stairs.

"Ah, hello there, Serafina," Stella said, addressing the Eevee by her full name. "Oh, and you too, Blitz."

"Hi there," Blitz said, looking around. There were a few slots carved out in the walls, with some purple crystals in them, which were capable of glowing in the dark. Blitz guessed they were probably either powered by starlight, or that Stella used her psychic energy to charge them up. There were a few empty slots in the wall where more of these crystals could be placed, which was what he and Sera were there for.

"Here are the purple light crystals you requested!" Sera said, sticking her face into a bag she was carrying, and pulling out a smaller bag with her mouth, placing it on a table. Stella then opened it and examined the purple crystals inside.

"Excellent, these are exactly the crystals I requested. Well done!"

"Oh, it was no big deal; anyone could've done that, really…" Blitz commented, absent-mindedly rubbing his forelegs against each other, creating more little sparks between them.

"Well, yes, anyone _could_ , but that doesn't guarantee that anyone _would_ ," Stella explained, wagging her finger. "Everyone is different. They may have different tastes, different priorities. Some rescue teams have different motives, and may not accept just any mission."

"You mean like Mirage, and how she prefers missions that have better rewards?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly to the left.

"Yes. Some Pokémon are mostly interested in what they gain from the missions, while others may be more interested in just going on adventures," The Gothitelle smiled as she looked at the two young Pokémon. "There are many great rescue teams, and some of them have different reasons for what they do, and why they do it. You two are no exception, and I certainly am pleased that you were willing to take my request."

"Well, that's nice and all, but, Sera and I have only been a rescue team for just a little over a week," Blitz said. "We can't really call ourselves a great rescue team…"

"Well, maybe not now, but someday you might," Stella said, smiling. "I certainly see a lot of potential in you two, and I believe you two have the capability to become a really great rescue team in the future."

"Do you really think so?" Sera exclaimed, her ears perking up in excitement.

"Yeah, _do_ you mean it, or is this something you say to any young rescue team to make them feel better about themselves? Not that I'm questioning your judgment or something, I… I just…" Blitz nervously looked down at his own paws. "I just don't see what you mean… I'm just like every other Shinx, there's nothing special about me."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, everyone is special in some way, even if they don't always see it." The Gothitelle kneeled down, gently petting the young Shinx. "Just because one can't see something, it doesn't mean that it is not there."

"What do you mean?" Blitz asked, tilting his head sideways in confusion.

"Oh, that's something you'll have to figure out on your own, dear," Stella said, giving the young electric lion cub a reassuring smile.

"I'll… take your word for it, then?" Blitz really wasn't sure how to respond to this, or what it was he was supposed to look for.

"So, we're really going to become an amazing rescue team?" Sera asked again, still excited.

"You certainly will," Stella said to the excited little Eevee. "Of course, you do have to work for it."

"Don't worry, we will definitely work hard!"

Stella then noticed that her daughter had just been standing around in the background this whole time, absent-mindely staring at the ceiling. The young Gothorita probably hadn't known how to contribute to the conversation.

"Hey, Bow? Why don't you pick out two Oran berries for Blitz and Sera as their reward for taking the time to run this little errand for us?"

"Oh!" the young Gothorita instantly perked up. "Sure! I can definitely do that!"

The young psychic type walked over to a basket full of berries, telekinetically lifting two blues ones out of the basket and levitating them across the room to Sera.

"Wow! You're really giving us two Oran berries?" Sera asked as she looked up at the two blue berries floating in front of her.

"You didn't really have to…" Blitz added, rubbing the yellow rings on his forelegs together again.

"Oh, it is no problem at all! I want you to have them!" Stella said, smiling sweetly.

"Thanks! I promise we'll use them wisely!" Sera said as she accepted the two berries and placed them inside the bag she was carrying.

"Well, I guess you two should get going now, and take care of some missions?" Stella reminded the two.

"Oh, that's right! Come on, Blitz! Let's get to it!"

"Okay."

And with that, Sera and Blitz left Stella's house, and began heading back the way they came from, before turning and walking up a path leading to the rescue team HQ. Once they got there, they would find a mission to take on. Little did they know, that for them, this day would be the beginning of an even bigger adventure.

* * *

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. What happened to you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I've been making more progress on chapter 51 of this story in the past few days, and I'm also making a bit of progress on some other fanfic projects of mine. We'll see how that works out. Maybe uploading the older chapters onto here is helping get me into the proper mindset for writing more stuff.
> 
> Speaking of which, here's chapter 2. Hope you enjoy it!

As he and Sera walked in the direction of the rescue team HQ, Blitz couldn't help but quietly wonder just what Stella had meant earlier. What exactly what it was that he couldn't see? Sera on the other hand didn't seem particularly concerned about that, and just happily led the way to the rescue team HQ. Blitz looked up at Sera, and couldn't help but smile just a little. Her cheerful attitude at the moment almost made it seem like she had nothing in the world to worry about.

"So… I'm guessing you didn't get any new missions in the mail today?" Blitz asked.

"Nope," Sera replied, turning to look at Blitz with her big brown eyes. "My big sister, and by big sister I mean Amethyst, not Sirena, said she didn't find any letters for me when she went to get the mail this morning."

"Oh," Blitz responded as he nodded his head slightly, the two Pokémon continuing heading towards the rescue team HQ.

The rescue team HQ building stood out a bit since it was among the few buildings that wasn't made at least partially from stone. It was a large wooden building, and probably the biggest building in the town. Above the large main entrance, was a painted wooden carving in the shape of a rescue team badge, a sphere with small white feathered wings on the sides of it. The top half of the wooden badge was painted red and the bottom half was painted white, just like on the real rescue team badges carried by the rescue teams that had just started out.

The rescue team badge currently attached to the treasure bag Sera was carrying looked like the wooden one decorating the entrance to the HQ, but Blitz knew that he and Sera were only a few missions away from gaining the bronze rank, and thus the rescue team badge would soon change to reflect this.

Several rescue teams were already inside when Sera and Blitz entered the main hall, and they were checking the two bulletin boards where missions were posted. One of them had rescue missions, requests to find or deliver a particular item, or escort someone somewhere, while the other board had missions all relating to catching outlaws or retrieving stolen items. Sera and Blitz approached the regular board, which currently had a humanoid Pokémon with dark green blade-like arms, and a red spider-like Pokémon.

"Excuse me, but are you two done? My partner and I would like to look at some missions," Sera asked sweetly.

"Ah, of course. We were just finishing checking this board, so now we're going to check the other one for an outlaw to catch!" the Gallade said, before looking down at his Ariados partner. "Come on; let's go find some foul Pokémon to arrest!"

"Yeah, yeah, just try not to use up all your energy _before_ we actually reach the bad guy this time," the Ariados replied dryly, the bug type not seeming particularly enthusiastic.

Sera glanced at the two Pokémon as they walked over to check the outlaw board, before suggesting: "Hey, maybe we should check out the other board too and try catching an outlaw?"

"Uh… I don't think we're really ready to handle that kind of mission yet…" Blitz replied, nervously rubbing his forelegs together.

"Are you sure?" Sera asked. "I feel like we''ve really been getting the hang of this."

"Well, I guess it's up to you, since you're the team leader and all…" Blitz responded, looking down at the ground. "I just-"

"Don't worry; if you don't think you're ready, we can just stick to one of the missions on this board here and let other rescue teams deal with catching outlaws."

"Are you sure?" Blitz looked up at Sera with his golden eyes.

"Of course I am!" Sera replied, smiling at Blitz. "After all, a good leader must take her teammate's feelings into consideration. That's what my big sis Amethyst told me!"

Blitz gave a sigh of relief, as he and Sera decided to just stick to the regular mission board for now. They looked over the various missions, looking for something that they could add to their job list.

While reading the various job descriptions of the missions, Blitz thought about how some Pokémon seemed to get themselves lost in a lot of strange places. Why would a fire type enter a mystery dungeon full of water Pokémon, and how could a seemingly big and powerful Pokémon so easily be beaten up by smaller Pokémon, especially ones it would have a type advantage over.

In general there were a lot of weird scenarios one would come over in these missions, but for a rescue team the job was to help them, not question what strange series of events caused that must've caused the situation to happen in the first place.

"Ooh, X-Ray Specs? That would be useful..." Sera said, reading one of the missions. "Just too bad we're not strong enough to tackle this one..."

"Meridian Forest, huh?" Blitz commented, as he read through the mystery dungeon description. "Yeah, that is way too tough for us."

"Would've been nice to have those X-Ray Specs, though," Sera responded. "Probably would make missions a lot easier."

"Since you two have already concluded that the mission in question is too difficult for you, the mushroom will take it" a strange monotone voice called out to them.

Blitz and Sera turned around to see an orange bug with a large mushroom growing on its back approaching the mission board, staring up at the board with its blank white eyes.

"Hey, I've seen you around here before," Blitz said. "You're one of Mirage's teammates, right? Or do I have you confused with another Parasect?"

"You are correct, I am indeed Mirage's teammate," the Parasect clarified, still speaking in a creepy monotone. "My name is Cordyceps, by the way."

"I thought Mirage already have a mission she intended to do today?" Sera asked.

"Indeed, but the mushroom thought it might be a good idea to check what other missions were available, in case we find something Mirage might be interested in," Cordyceps explained.

"Well, I think there are some missions with a high reward on here," Blitz said, gesturing to some missions on the board with his paw. "If that helps..."

"The mushroom thanks you for making this observation, this pleases the mushroom," Cordyceps replied, picking off a mission from the board with his orange claw. "Mirage will be pleased as well."

"You're welcome?" Blitz felt a bit creeped out by the Parasect.

"Oh, and the mushroom mustn't forget this," Cordyceps said as he picked off the mission Sera had been looking at. "It is probably better for a rescue team like ours to handle this, since you kids have already concluded that it is much too difficult for you."

"Hey! Who are you calling a kid!?" Sera seemed a bit offended by the Parasect's remark.

"The mushroom is simply making an observation that you two are no where near experienced enough to handle a dungeon like the Meridian Forest," he responded.

"Hey, Cordy! You coming, or what?" a somewhat rough, but still feminine voice called out. The Pokémon turned to see what appeared to be a large duck like creature with flame like patterns on her body. "Mirage is waiting for us."

"The mushroom apologizes for being late," Cordyceps responded as he crawled over to the Magmar. "However, I found some missions that I think Mirage will be interested in."

"What kind of missions?" the Magmar asked as she and Cordyceps exited the building to go catch up to their leader.

"Calling me a kid and saying I can't handle this… How rude!" Sera said, before leaving the building, without even looking at some of the other missions available on the board.

"Sera! Wait up!" Blitz shouted, running after his rescue team partner.

* * *

"I hate it when other Pokémon don't take me seriously…" an annoyed Sera muttered as she paced back and forth in front of a wooden sign pointing to the paths leading in and out of town, as well as the paths leading to those of the mystery dungeons that could easily be reached by foot.

"Sera, he didn't really say anything we didn't already know," Blitz said, standing nearby while rubbing his forelegs together. "You and I are not experienced enough to handle Meridian Forest."

"Still, does he think I'm some kid who can't handle big missions?" Sera shook her head, looking down at her red and white rescue badge. "Even if we can't do missions in there, I don't see why we can't at least take a look at Meridian Forest. If we avoid the wild Pokémon, we should be okay."

"Sera, you're not actually thinking of going in there, are you?" Blitz asked.

"Well, I don't see any reason why we can't take a little look at what first few floors are like…" Sera responded,

"Don't do it, Sera. It's too dangerous!" Blitz said, as he could tell what she was thinking, and had to try to talk her out of it.

"But, if I'm _extra_ careful, make sure all our rescue team money is safely in the bank, and take the items to the item warehouse and have Lionel store them for us, only bringing along an Escape Orb, then there's nothing to lose, right?" Sera smirked, as she was slowly convincing herself to do this.

At this point, Blitz realized it was probably no point in trying to talk her out of it. Sera would probably decide to go into the Meridian Forest regardless of what he said to her. He was pretty sure if he tried to talk her out of it now; it would only lead to a long discussion about whether to go or not to go that would just take up too much of their time. He really didn't want to argue with his rescue team leader when she had already set her mind to something. Besides, she had said she should be extra careful, and surely she would be, right?

"Well, okay… I'll come with you, then," Blitz said, feeling as if he was going to regret this the moment he said it.

"You will?" Sera's ears perked up, seeming excited that her partner was willing to come along.

"Y-Yeah… We're a rescue team, aren't we? We stick together…" Blitz managed a smile, even if one could clearly tell that he was very nervous.

"Great! I'll go make the preparations for our exploration, and then I'll meet you at the entrance to the dungeon?" Sera asked, happily wagging her tail.

"I suppose…" Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly while nervously rubbing the rings on his forelegs together.

"All right, I'll see you there, then!" Sera said, before running off to make the preparations.

As Sera ran off, Blitz sighed and slowly began moving down the path which led to Meridian Forest. He just stared down at the dirt road as he slowly moved forward, not feeling confident about this at all. At least Sera only wanted to take a quick look into the dungeon, so he hoped she would be satisfied quickly so they could leave as soon as possible. That is, assuming they didn't get ambushed and knocked unconscious the moment they stepped inside the dungeon.

* * *

A few minutes later, the two Pokémon met up and were soon standing in front of the entrance to the Meridian Forest. Blitz felt really nervous, but was trying not to let it get to him. Sera felt a bit unnerved as well when she realized just how small she seemed under the tall trees of the forest. However, she wasn't going to back down, and confidently marched into the forest. Blitz took a deep breath and followed closely behind.

The grass was still wet from the rainstorm the previous night, and a drops of water could be seen dripping down from wet leaves. Blitz looked around at the wet grass and leaves sparkling somewhat in the sunlight that was able to reach it, thinking back to how much it had been raining last night. Being an electric type, he wasn't really afraid of the lightning. The flashes of light and the sound of thunder still could make it difficult to sleep, and Blitz thought about how living alone had it's disadvantages.

His thoughts were interrupted as he felt something cool and wet on his foreleg, realizing that he had just stepped in a puddle. The young Shinx sighed as he lifted his paw out of the puddle, an expression seeming like a mix between annoyance and slight disgust as he tried to shake off the dirty water on his paw.

"Hey, I think I see the stairs to the next floor over there!" Sera called to Blitz, gesturing with her paw towards some grayish stairs. While they looked a bit out of place in the forest, it was just the way mystery dungeons worked.

Blitz was grateful nothing had attacked them yet as he followed Sera up the stairs to the next floor. However, he knew luck like that wasn't likely to last, and had to stay on the alert. They wound up in another maze-like room with walls of trees, and there were two paths for them to follow.

"Um… Which way?" Blitz asked, looking around nervously.

"Hmm… I'm not sure…" Sera said, tilting her head slightly.

The stairs that had led them into this room had vanished, which was also just something mystery dungeons did. Mystery dungeons were constantly changing. Blitz looked around to see if there was anything of interest on the ground, but as far as he could tell, there were no items in this particular area. Sera was still trying to decide which way to go. Blitz wandered near one of the paths, and suddenly heard something. It sounded as if something was moving through the grass, heading towards them.

"Sera, I hear something coming…" he whispered to her, pointing towards the east path. "I think wild Pokémon are moving this way."

"Oh! Well, let's hurry up that path there, then!" she whispered back, and so the two quickly moved up the other path.

The path led them into another room, luckily without any other wild Pokémon in it. There weren't any stairs either, though. However, Sera did spot something laying in the grass and went to investigate.

"What is it?" Blitz asked, watching Sera examine a small seed on the ground by looking at it and sniffing it.

"A Sleep Seed," Sera said, picking it up with a paw and placing it into the bag which only contained the Escape orb they had brought along. "That could come in handy later!"

"Yeah, it probably will," Blitz said, looking around nervously. "Shouldn't we keep moving?"

"Oh, right! Let's go!"

The two moved on, reaching the area with the stairs to the next floor. Blitz also noticed another wonder orb lying on the ground, and went to pick up the blue orb which looked like the Escape Orb they were carrying. Upon closer examination, Blitz saw that it wasn't an Escape Orb, but a different orb.

"I think it's a Switcher Orb," Blitz said as he put it into the bag Sera was carrying. "Think it'll come in handy?"

"It might!" Sera said as she began walking up the stairs, Blitz following closely behind.

The two reached the next floor, where there were two more items on the ground that immediately caught Sera's attention, a pink berry and another seed.

"Ooh! A Pecha berry!" Sera exclaimed as she excitedly ran over to pick up the berry.

Blitz suddenly felt nervous, a different kind of nervous from how he had felt through the rest of the dungeon. Something about the atmosphere was different, but Blitz couldn't figure out exactly what it was.

"Ooh! A Reviver Seed! It's a Reviver Seed!" Sera exclaimed as she picked up the seed and put it inside the bag.

"Are you sure about that?" Blitz asked, as a cool breeze blew through the area, carrying with it a few stray leaves.

"Yes, it's definitely a Reviver Seed and not one of those silly Reviser Seeds!" Sera responded excitedly.

"Okay…" Blitz said, and followed Sera as she began moving down another path.

He wasn't sure how they had managed to get through this maze-like area so far without running into any Pokémon in it, but he figured they had just been very, _very_ lucky so far. Still, the strange feeling wouldn't go away, and Blitz felt like it would probably be best to leave the dungeon as soon as possible. They soon moved into a different room, which was a fairly big section. It appeared to be empty, though.

"Hmm… You'd think a room this big would have _something_ in it…" Sera said, while looking around, noticing some bushes. "Ooh, maybe there's something in there?"

"Maybe…" Blitz said, and began walking over to the bushes. He thought that maybe if he found a good item in there, Sera would be satisfied and they could leave the dungeon.

The young blue lion cub Pokémon began checking through the bushes, pushing away some of the leafy branches, but as far as he could tell, there was nothing there. He continued looking through the wet bushes, not really finding anything. As he was about to conclude there was nothing in these bushes and that it was best to move on, he noticed out of the corner of his eye something red and yellow. He moved over to investigate, gasping once he realized it was an unconscious Mienfoo laying there in the wet grass.

He cautiously approached the yellow and red weasel-like Pokémon laying there, examining its unconscious form. There were no signs of the Mienfoo having suffered any injury, and if there had been a battle there, the traces of it had been erased by the storm. There was no way to tell what had happened to it, if anything. Blitz frowned, unsure what to do about this. He carefully began reaching out his paw, gently pushing the Mienfoo with his paw, being careful not to accidentally give it an electric shock from his paw in the process, especially since the Mienfoo's fur was a bit wet.

All of a sudden, the Mienfoo's eyes shot open, giving a startled yell upon seeing Blitz and trying to hit him with one of his paws. Acting on his instincts, Blitz dodged the attack, stepping back as the bipedal weasel charged at him. However, before it could attack again, Blitz made his fur give off an intense glow, momentarily blinding the Mienfoo. The weasel Pokémon cried out again, before covering his eyes with his paw.

"What's going on?" Sera asked, as she ran over to them, having seen the bright light.

The Mienfoo kept rubbing his eyes, only to suddenly feel a paw being gently placed on his shoulder. He opened his red eyes again, to see Sera trying to comfort him, and seemed to calm down a little as he realized these two Pokémon weren't going to hurt him. As he seemed to come to his senses, the Mienfoo looked around in confusion at his surroundings.

"Are you okay?" Blitz asked, taking a few steps closer. "Sorry about the light, you just startled me, and I did it without really thinking… It's sort of a defense mechanism."

"Oh, it's okay… I did kind of attack you for no reason… Sorry about that…" the Mienfoo sounded distracted, but his apology was sincere. He continued to stare at everything around him, as another gust of wind blew overhead, carrying more leaves with it.

"What happened to you?" Sera asked, gently rubbing the Mienfoo's back with her paw.

"I… don't remember…" the Mienfoo said, examining his own paws.

"How'd you get here?" Sera asked.

"I… don't know…" the Mienfoo responded, rubbing the back of his head with a paw.

"Wait… you don't remember _anything_?" Blitz asked, tilting his head slightly.

"No, I don't… Heh, that's weird," the Mienfoo said, a small confused smile crossing his face.

"So… You don't remember who you are, how you got here, or what happened to you?" Blitz asked in order to clarify.

"Nope! Not at all!" the Mienfoo replied, seeming to find the strangeness of his situation to be amusing somehow.

"That… doesn't sound good…" Sera said, looking somewhat concerned.

"Maybe we should ask nurse Giselle over at the rescue team HQ if she can take a look at him?" Blitz asked.

"Sounds like a good idea," Sera responded, before turning to the Mienfoo. "What do you say? Want to come with us?"

"Sure!" the Mienfoo replied with a cheerful smile. "It's not like I have anything better to do, or at least, not that I know of!"

Blitz suddenly realized how much the wind had picked up, and more and more leaves were being blown past them. Now he knew why he had felt the way he did since entering this floor, and what was happening.

"Uh… Guys? I think we should get out of here, _now_!" Blitz called out.

"Why? What's happening?" the Mienfoo asked, tilting his head to the side.

"There's this mysterious force that forces rescue team out of mystery dungeons if they stay in them too long," Sera explained, as she pulled out the Escape Orb they had brought. "No one is sure exactly what it is, but due to the constantly changing nature of the mystery dungeons, we believe it is there to make sure no one from the outside is left inside the mystery dungeon before it changes. Now, get close to me, both of you!"

Blitz quickly moved close to Sera, and so did the Mienfoo, even if he still didn't seem to be particularly concerned about what was happening around them. Sera carefully pressed a certain spot on the Escape Orb with her paws, activating it. In only a few seconds, a blue light from the orb enveloped the three Pokémon and sent them back to the entrance of the dungeon.

"Whoa! That was awesome!" the Mienfoo shouted, waving his paw in the air. "Can we do it again?"

"I don't think so," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "I think I need to lie down for a bit, and calm my nerves..."

"I guess we should head back to town, then!" Sera said, wagging her tail happily. "I can't wait to tell other rescue teams about our little adventure today!"

"Not so sure if that's a good idea..." Blitz responded. "And besides, that isn't our main priority at the moment."

"You're right," Sera said, looking over at the Mienfoo. "For now, let's just head back to town, and tomorrow we will take this guy to see Giselle."

"I look forward to meeting her!" the Mienfoo responded, with a cheerful smile.

* * *

As they were walking back to town, the Mienfoo realized something.

"Hey, guys? You haven't told me your names yet."

"Huh?" Blitz found it strange that this was one of the Mienfoo's main concerns, but on the other hand, they _did_ forget to properly introduce themselves to him. "Oh, I'm Blitz."

"And I'm Sera! It's short for Serafina!"

"Wow, those are really nice names!" the Mienfoo responded. "Hey, since you two have such great names, maybe you can think of a name for me?"

"You want us to think of a name for you?" Blitz asked, not really sure what the Mienfoo meant about him having a great name. Wasn't Blitz a fairly common name for electric types?

"Well, I guess it might be convenient to have a name to call him by," Sera commented. "But what should we call him?"

Both Sera and the Mienfoo looked over at Blitz expectantly, neither of them having any ideas of their own. However, neither did Blitz, which caused him to quietly panic somewhat as he wondered why the two of them would think _he_ had any names in mind for a Pokémon they had just met.

"Um… How about… we call him… Chiaki?" Blitz nervously blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Chiaki? You mean after the heroic Mienshao from that set of short stories that used to be in the newspaper?" Sera asked.

"Y-Yeah… It was just the first thing that came to mind…" Blitz said, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I can try to think of something better, but I'm not really good with names."

"Oh, no need to do so!" the Mienfoo responded. "I think Chiaki is a great name!"

"You really think so?" Blitz asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Uh-huh! I can be Chiaki!" the Mienfoo happily replied.

"All right, then. From now on, we will call you "Chiaki"!" Sera announced.

"Yay!" the Mienfoo now called Chiaki responded.

"Well, that's one thing taken care of, but I think there's another thing we need to figure out here." Blitz said.

"Huh?" Sera and Chiaki looked over at Blitz curiously.

"Where is he supposed to stay tonight?" the Shinx asked.

"Ooh, good question…" Sera responded.

"Can't I just stay with one of you?" Chiaki asked.

"Oh, I'm afraid there wouldn't be room for you over at my home," Sera explained. "You see, I have a lot of siblings, and sometimes it feels as if there's barely enough room for all of us as it is."

"Oh, okay," Chiaki nodded his head in understanding, before turning his attention to Blitz. "How about you, Blitz?"

"Hmm… Actually, I wouldn't mind a roommate. I've been living by myself ever since my mother sent me here to train, and it can get kind of lonely sometimes," Blitz responded. "It's not very big, but big enough for two small Pokémon like us. We just have to make an extra bed for you, that's all."

"Really?" Chiaki seemed excited. "It's no problem at all?"

"Not as long as you help keeping things tidy and don't make too much noise." Blitz stated.

"Oh, thank you!" Chiaki responded, excitedly jumped around the two other Pokémon. "I'll be a good roommate, I promise!"

"Well, I guess that's sorted out, then!" Sera commented as the stone buildings of the town were coming into view, the sun slowly going down in the distance. "Whoa, it's sunset already? I better hurry home, bye guys! See you tomorrow!"

"Bye, Sera!"

"Bye!"

Blitz and Chiaki waved good-bye to Sera was she hurried home to her family. Once they could no longer see her, Blitz decided to show Chiaki where he lived. He led the Mienfoo over to a stone hut with several holes serving as a front door and windows carved into it. The hole serving as the front door was surprisingly big for a house where a small Pokémon like Blitz lived, but then Chiaki realized that the reason for this was likely so Blitz could invite Pokémon bigger than himself over to visit.

Chiaki followed Blitz inside, and looked around. There wasn't really much to see in there, apart from a map of the continent hanging on a wall, a big pile of straw that presumably was Blitz's bed, a small wooden table, a vase filled with fresh water standing in a corner, and a basket of berries next to the vase.

"Well, here it is. It's not much, but it has everything I need."

"I think this place looks really nice!" Chiaki responded, smiling at the young Shinx.

"You really think so?" Blitz asked.

"Uh-huh! Thanks for letting me stay with you!" Chiaki said, still smiling.

"You're welcome," Blitz responded, smiling back at Chiaki. "Come on; help me prepare your bed."

The two Pokémon began dividing up the pile of straw into two smaller ones, both of them making sure that both beds would get an equal amount of straw and that both beds would be comfortable enough. After all, they would have to get a good night's sleep so they could have the energy to get a lot accomplished tomorrow. Blitz hoped that Sera wouldn't drag him into another dungeon above their level of experience anytime soon, even if they had managed to avoid getting into trouble _this_ time. And at least they did get some useful items out of it, and they also met a new friend. So, while they hadn't actually gotten any missions done, it had still been a good day.

* * *

**End of Chapter 2**


	3. There's a lot of magic in this world.

* * *

Chiaki was quite comfortable in his bed, and wanted to just stay in bed a little longer, even if the warm rays of sunlight shining through the windows wanted to let him know it was morning and time to get up. Blitz however was slowly getting up, blue sparks of electricity rippling through his fur as he yawned and stretched.

"You awake yet, Chiaki?" Blitz asked, looking over at the Mienfoo.

"Uh-huh..." Chiaki responded, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. While he wouldn't have minded to sleep for five more minutes, he didn't want to keep Blitz waiting.

"Did you sleep well?" Blitz asked.

"Yeah, very well," Chiaki replied, smiling. "Again, thanks for letting me stay with you!"

"You're welcome!" Blitz responded, smiling at his new roommate. "So, are you ready to head out?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Chiaki said, as he got onto his feet. "Let's go!"

* * *

The two Pokémon headed straight for the town plaza at the center of the town, where most of the shops and other services for rescue teams were located. Chiaki excitedly looked around, wondering what each of the various Pokémon working at the different stalls did. He noticed a green Pokémon juggling three apples before catching them in the dish-like lily pad on the top of his head, while next to him was a brown Pokémon with a pointy nose and a leaf growing out of his head that seemed to be busy polishing a wonder orb, not really paying attention to the other shopkeeper. The Lombre noticed Chiaki looking over in their direction, and smiled and waved at him. Chiaki smiled and waved back.

"That's the item shop," Blitz explained to Chiaki, having noticed that the Mienfoo seemed curious about it. "Wade the Lombre sells food, healing items and items that can be thrown at enemies in battle, while Vic the Nuzleaf sells TMs and various wonder orbs."

"A pleasure to meet you!" the Lombre said, nodding his head.

"It is nice to meet you too!" Chiaki responded.

"Hey Wade, has Sera been here yet?" Blitz asked.

"Ah, yes. She stopped by to buy some apples from me earlier," Wade responded, before pointing to the distracted Nuzleaf next to him. "She also bought an Escape Orb from Vic."

"Oh, okay." Blitz said, and turned to face Chiaki. "Come on, let's keep going."

After a quick good-bye to the two shopkeepers, the two continued moving along. However, Chiaki's attention was soon caught by another building nearby, in which a white ferret-like Pokémon with brown lines on its body was busy drawing up an organization plan of some sort. The Linoone seemed to be rather immersed in making this organization plan, even having sort of a smirk on his face that wouldn't look out of place on someone who had just come up with a brilliant master plan to take over the world.

"That's Lionel, he runs the item warehouse where rescue teams store their items so they don't risk losing them," Blitz explained. "Lately, he's been working on this plan to reorganize everything in an attempt to make a more effective system and allow him to faster find the items rescue teams have stored with him when they need them."

"That's nice of him!" Chiaki commented.

"Yeah, he likes coming up with ways to make things more convenient for the rescue teams that rely on him," Blitz said, chuckling a little as he saw the sheer look of determination at the Linoone's face. "He _really_ likes organizing things, and I sometimes can't help but wonder if he perhaps takes these things a little _too_ seriously."

"Well, as long as it makes him and other Pokémon happy!" Chiaki replied with a cheerful smile on his face.

The two kept moving through the town, walking past another stall where a purple cobra was currently talking to a red bipedal ladybug working at the stall, asking the Ledian some questions about opening an account at the bank.

"That's the bank," Blitz explained. "Rescue teams get to open a special account there where they can keep the money they earn from their missions, so that it doesn't risk being lost."

"Lost?" Chiaki inquired.

"Yeah, money and items may disappear if a rescue team is defeated inside a dungeon before they can finish a mission," Blitz responded. "No one really knows why that happens. It might have something to do with how the mystery dungeons are constantly changing, but I'm guessing there's no real way to find out."

As Blitz finished his brief explanation, he and Chiaki walked past another stall which seemed to be run by an odd orange Pokémon with blue lightning bolts for arms.

"That is where we can go to have two or more of our attacks linked together, meaning we can use them both in one move," Blitz explained. "I'm not really sure how that works, but that is what Zap says he does, for a price, of course."

"Cool!" Chiaki responded, like Blitz, he didn't fully understand it, but he thought it sounded really awesome.

The two continued moving, walking past another stall. Looking at it, Chiaki saw that the Pokémon working behind it, a small purple Pokémon with gem stones for eyes, was just casually eating a rock while waiting for customers.

"If we find treasure boxes that we can't open on our own during missions, that is where we can go to get them opened," Blitz commented. For a moment he wondered if the Sableye would chip a tooth, but figured that since the species' diet mainly did consist of rocks and gemstones, they probably had extra strong teeth to prevent just that.

The two walked past a stall that was painted white with blue and red triangle patterns. A white fairy like Pokémon with similar blue and red triangle markings on his body was currently looking after a blue egg with orange spots on it.

"That's the babysitter service, they look after eggs for rescue teams that are too busy to look after them on their own," Blitz explained.

After walking past that last stall, Blitz led Chiaki a bit to the South-East, where a bigger building that looked as if it was partially build from concrete stood out, a sign on top reading: "Find your true strengths here at Heracross Dojo".

"This place is where most rescue teams come to train, and actually one of the main reasons why I'm here," Blitz explained, before he and Chiaki continued moving along. "You see, I was having trouble receiving proper training at home, my mother sent me here, so I could receive proper training at the dojo."

"Wow, there's a lot of great things in this town!" Chiaki exclaimed.

"Oh, you haven't even seen the best part, yet!" Blitz said, smiling. "Come on, before we head to the rescue team HQ, I'll show you the most popular spot in town!"

Chiaki followed Blitz to another building, a rather nice looking café built from wood rather than stone. Inside, were several small wooden tables, a wooden counter and a large spider web on the ceiling with several light crystals in it. Standing behind the counter was a blue rabbit-like Pokémon, talking to another Pokémon resembling a red bipedal crocodile Pokémon.

"You ever wonder why they call it a sandwich when there's no sand in them?" the Krookodile wondered out loud, the Azumarill behind the counter just giving him a weird look.

At one of the tables, there were two other Pokémon sitting, one resembling a giant blue turtle, the other resembling a colorful bird with a bit of a saurian head. The bird was reading a newspaper, shaking his head slightly at the news he read.

"There certainly are some nasty Pokémon out there," the Archeops commented, showing the newspaper page to the Carracosta. "I swear, if any Pokémon like that were to come around these parts, they should be burned on the stake!"

"Dude, they stopped doing that a long time ago," the Carracosta replied.

"… They did?" the Archeops paused for a moment to think, to which the Carracosta just stared at him in confusion for a moment.

"We're not _that_ old, dude."

Chiaki looked around, seeming to find the spider web on the ceiling with the various light crystals in it particularly interesting.

"Well, Chiaki, this is the local hang-out spot in this town, and a popular place for rescue teams to come and have something to drink after a long day of missions!" Blitz explained.

"Ooh, sounds nice!" Chiaki responded. "Do you and Sera come here a lot?"

"Yeah, we've been here a few times," Blitz replied. "Well, I guess we should head over to the rescue team HQ now. It wouldn't be nice to keep Sera waiting for too long."

"Okay! Let's go!" Chiaki agreed, and so the two headed out of the café, just as a small blue mouse Pokémon bounced into the building.

"Hey, mother! Guess what?" the Azurill exclaimed as she ran up to the Azumarill at the counter, who was apparently her mother. Seeing as they were just leaving the area, Blitz and Chiaki didn't get to hear what the Azurill had to say to her mother.

* * *

After a short walk, the two of them reached the rescue team HQ. After letting Chiaki stare in awe at the wooden rescue team badge sculpture over the entrance for a few seconds, Blitz led the young Mienfoo inside. Chiaki curiously looked around at the other rescue teams and the mission boards, as Sera walked over, having gotten there a few minutes earlier and had been waiting for Blitz and Chiaki to show up.

"Hey guys!" Sera happily greeted the two, the two Pokémon greeting her back.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Oh, it's all right!" Sera said, wagging her tail. "All the missions on the rescue board had already been taken when I got here, so I've sort of just been waiting for them to update it."

"Hey, what exactly is it that rescue teams do?" Chiaki asked. "From the name, I'm guessing you rescue other Pokémon?"

"Well, that just one of the things a rescue team does," Sera explained. "We also explore mystery dungeons, help Pokémon find lost items, help escort Pokémon through dungeons so they can meet with their friends and we catch outlaws! Basically, a rescue team's job is to help others!"

"That is so cool!" Chiaki exclaimed. "I wish I could be in a rescue team!"

Blitz and Sera followed the excited fighting type over to another room behind a pink curtain, in which a pink and cream colored, somewhat plump rabbit like Pokémon wearing a white headband with a small pink cross on it, was examining the very long tongue of a chubby pink Pokémon.

"Hmm… Good, it seems there won't be any lasting damage, although your tongue might be a little numb for the next few days," the Audino said to the Lickitung with a reassuring smile. "It's a good thing your teammate reacted as quickly as he did. Hopefully, you'll be a bit careful about what you do with your tongue the next time you explore an ice dungeon!"

The Lickitung nodded and thanked the Audino, although his speech was somewhat mumbled since his tongue was still numb, before exiting the room to go find his teammates.

"Hi Giselle!" Blitz greeted the Audino.

"Oh, hello there, Blitz!" Giselle responded, smiling sweetly. "How may I help you? Is there a thorn stuck in your paw?"

"Not this time," Blitz responded, before pointing a paw at Chiaki. "We found this Mienfoo unconscious in the Meridian Forest yesterday."

"He doesn't remember anything about who he is, or how he got there, so we were wondering if you could take a look at him." Sera added.

"Oh, is that so?" the Audino nurse inquired. "But why were you two in the Meridian Forest? That place is too dangerous for two young Pokémon like you."

"Don't worry, I had everything under control!" Sera stated confidently. "We didn't get into any trouble at all!"

"Well, that's nice, but a responsible team leader _should_ know better than to go into a dungeon above their team's experience level," Giselle said, sounding somewhat concerned. Sera's ears drooped down a bit as Giselle said that. "Well, anyways, let me take a look at your friend here…"

As Giselle began to check up on Chiaki and ask him a few questions, Sera exited the room, seeming a little bit upset. Blitz followed her to make sure she was okay; letting Chiaki and nurse Giselle talk alone for a bit.

* * *

After a while, Giselle exited her office along with Chiaki, to tell Blitz and Sera what little she had managed to find out.

"Well, I'm afraid I don't know what might've caused your friend's memory loss," Giselle said, looking somewhat confused. "He appears to have suffered no physical damage, and I can't really tell if anything has been done to his mind."

"Oh, is that so?" Sera asked.

"Yes," the Audino responded, looking a bit concerned. "So, I recommend having a psychic type Pokémon take a look at him."

"Okay, we'll try that, I guess…" Blitz responded.

"I'm really sorry that I couldn't do anymore to help," Giselle said, adjusting her headband. "Well, I hope you sort things out. Let me know if anything else comes up!"

And with that, Giselle went back to her office, and the three young Pokémon wandered back over to the rescue boards which had just been updated. Sera began to look at what new missions were available, while Blitz tried to figure out who they could ask to examine Chiaki.

"Hmm… Perhaps Stella could help?" Blitz suggested, after thinking about it for a few moments.

"Who's Stella?" Chiaki asked.

"She's the town oracle," Blitz explained to him. "She can predict the future, and she gives pretty good advice."

"Oh, that sounds cool!" Chiaki responded.

"Oh, come on!" Sera shouted, catching Blitz and Chiaki's attention as she stomped her feet in frustration. " _All_ of these missions are above our current skill level! That's _so_ not fair!"

"Um… Maybe we can wait for them to update the board again…?" Blitz suggested.

"I don't wanna wait!" Sera whined, before noticing the stares some of the other rescue teams in the room were giving her. "Uh… I mean, maybe we could look around and see if someone in town has something they need help with?"

Just seconds after she said that, the blue little mouse Pokémon from earlier bounced into the room. The Azurill glanced around at all the Pokémon, smirking a bit as she saw that there were plenty of rescue teams there at the moment. She jumped onto her tail, and tried to get a rescue team's attention: "Hello? I'm looking for a rescue team to take me on an adventure!"

"Oh!" Sera said, quickly running up to the Azurill along with Blitz and Chiaki. "You need the assistance of a rescue team?"

"Yep!" the Azurill responded. "Just a few moments ago, I saw something falling out of the sky, and I think it might've been a Pokémon! I think it landed in the Lush Valley, so I wanted to go check it out, but my mother won't let me go unless I get a rescue team to go with me."

"A Pokémon fell out of the sky?" Sera tilted her head slightly.

"Probably a flying type," Blitz said. "If it fell, I'm guessing it must've suffered a wing injury, or something. And I'm guessing hitting the ground can't be pleasant either."

"Oh my, sounds like we'd better go find that Pokémon fast!" Sera responded.

"Yes! Let's go!" Chiaki said, nodding his head.

"Wait, you want to come too?" Blitz asked.

"Well, yeah. It's not like I have anything better to do today," Chiaki responded, shrugging slightly. "Besides, I want to help others like you do!"

"Is that so?" Sera inquired, an idea coming to her mind.

"Well, yeah. In fact, I would love to be on a rescue team!" Chiaki replied, smiling.

"Well… That can be arranged!" Sera said, grinning.

"It can?" Chiaki asked.

"Yeah! Blitz and I could use some more members on our team!" Sera said, before looking over at Blitz. "Would you be okay with that?"

"Um… I guess so…" Blitz replied, thinking about it for a moment. "But he's not familiar with how missions work."

"Hmm… Good point," Sera responded. "Maybe we should take him along on a mission, so he can see for himself what it's like, and then decide if he wants to join or not?"

"That sounds good to me!" Chiaki responded, seeming even more excited than usual.

"Um… So, are you going to help me, or not?" the Azurill asked, noting that the three had gotten a bit sidetracked.

"Oh! We hadn't forgotten about you, miss…" Blitz paused for a moment, realizing that the Azurill hadn't yet told them her name.

"Azure," the Azurill said. "My name is Azure."

"So, you said you think the flying type landed in the Lush Valley?" Sera asked, her ears perking up with excitement. "That dungeon isn't too difficult for us!"

"Does that mean you'll go with me, then?" Azure asked, bouncing impatiently on top of her tail.

"We're in!" Sera responded, nodding to the Azurill.

"Yes!" Azure shouted out, now bouncing around in excitement. "Let's go on an adventure!"

"Hold on, first we need to double-check to make sure we have all the items we need for…" Blitz realized that the other three Pokémon had already run out the door before he could even finish the sentence, and were already heading off towards the dungeon. "Hey, guys! Wait! Don't leave me behind!"

* * *

Blitz managed to catch up to the rest of the group before they got too far, and reminded Sera to double-check their supplies before they went off on their adventure. Once everything was ready, the four Pokémon began heading over to the entrance to the dungeon. As they were walking, Blitz remembered something.

"Oh! We forgot to take Chiaki to see Stella!"

"Huh?" Chiaki said, looking over at the blue lion cub Pokémon. "Oh, don't worry about that! I'm not in a hurry to find out who I am!"

"Are you sure?" Blitz asked.

"Yeah," Chiaki replied, nodding his head. "It can wait. Right now, let's focus on this mission!"

"If you say so…?" Blitz said, tilting his head slightly.

"Okay, we're here," Sera spoke up, the four Pokémon now standing at the entrance to the mystery dungeon. "The Lush Valley is a mystery dungeon that has… eight floors?"

She glanced over at Blitz, who nodded his head to confirm that she was correct.

"Right, there's eight floors," Sera said, keeping her eyes on Blitz for him to confirm that she was remembering the details correctly. "If the Pokémon you saw landed at the very end of the dungeon, we'll be finding it on the eighth floor."

"Well, what are waiting for? Let's go in!" Azure shouted, bouncing on her tail impatiently.

"Yeah, let's go rescue that Pokémon!" Chiaki shouted out.

"Right, let's get to it!" Sera said, and so the four Pokémon entered the mystery dungeon.

* * *

The four found themselves on the first floor of the dungeon, the entrance seemingly vanishing behind them. Did it disappear? Or was it still there, but only visible from the other side? Chiaki quickly took note of such oddities of the dungeon, but didn't think too much of it because he was just so excited about getting to see what a rescue team mission was like.

"So, when going on a mission, always make sure to bring the necessary items," Sera explained, pointing to the bag she was carrying. "Which items you need may vary depending on the mission, but there are a few basic items that are always good to have with you."

Sera opened the lid for a moment, giving Chiaki a quick glimpse of what was inside of the bag.

"As you can see, I brought along some apples, some Oran berries and a Reviver Seed, just in case," Sera continued explaining. "You may also have noticed that our treasure bag is kind of small and can only keep a limited amount of stuff, but don't worry about that! As we reach higher ranks, we'll get a bigger one!"

"Excuse me," Azure spoke up. "But, since I'm here for the adventure, do you think you could walk and explain at the same time?"

"Hey, no need to be rude about it," Sera responded. "But you're right; we should get going, since we do have a mission to take care of."

Sera took a few steps forward, glancing around to see if there was anything of interest in the section of the dungeon they were in before motioning for the other three Pokémon to follow her down a path to another room. By pure luck, the first room they entered was the room in which the stairs to the next floor were located. However, there was also a small, light blue elephant in the room, as well as a brown bird with red wings. The four Pokémon that entered their room naturally caught the attention of those two Pokémon.

"Oh, we've caught the attention of two wilds!" Azure shouted out. "Can I fight one?"

"Wilds?" Chiaki tilted his head quizzically.

"A term we use for the Pokémon that live in mystery dungeons," Blitz explained. "They're not like the Pokémon outside of dungeons; they appear to be bound by a set of unwritten rules of the dungeons."

"There are rules?" Chiaki asked, curiously looking over at the Spearow and the Phanpy, the two wilds still standing in the same positions, as if waiting for the four visitors to the dungeon to move first.

"Well, we believe that's the case, but no one knows for sure," Blitz continued explaining. "Their behavior does suggest something like that. When they join a rescue team, they act just like any other Pokémon, which we believe may be part of the rules."

"So, they're bound by this set of rules no one else knows about, until they join a rescue team?" Chiaki suggested.

"Yeah, something like that, we think," Blitz said. "However, none of the Pokémon that have joined a rescue team has confirmed the existence of these rules."

"So, it's against the rules to reveal the existence of the rules?" Chiaki asked once again.

"Sorry to interrupt, but can we please just fight these guys?" Azure asked, seeming rather impatient and itching for a fight.

"Relax, we _are_ going to fight them, you know, to show Chiaki how it's done," Sera said, motioning with her paw for the Azurill to calm down, before turning her attention to Blitz. "Blitz, you want to fight the Spearow? You've got the type advantage, after all."

"Me? Um… Okay, I'll fight the Spearow," Blitz responded, looking over at the two wild Pokémon. "What about the Phanpy, though?"

"I'll take care of that!" Azure shouted out, bouncing over to the blue little elephant in question.

With a gleeful look on her face, the Azurill proceeded to swing her tail around, before smacking the blue ball on the tip of her long black tail into the Phanpy with enough force to send the little ground type Pokémon flying. Blitz, Sera and Chiaki just stared as the little elephant went flying out of sight.

"And _that_ is how I do it!" Azure proudly proclaimed.

Blitz briefly forgot about the Spearow he was supposed to fight after seeing Azure's little demonstration, only to hear a screeching sound as the Spearow was flying at him. The bird Pokémon was preparing to hit the Shinx with an attack of its sharp beak, only to be blinded by a bright light, causing the bird to stop in its tracks. Once the light cleared, the blue lion cub was nowhere in sight. The bird glanced around, trying to figure out where his opponent disappeared to.

Blitz had managed to slip away, and was now crawling through some tall grass, staying low to the ground so the Spearow wouldn't see him coming before he made his move. Blitz crept closer to the bird, waiting for just the right moment. Just as the Spearow gave up on finding the electric lion cub and began turning its attention to the other three Pokémon nearby, it was knocked to the ground as Blitz tackled it. Blitz quickly leaped at the bird again before it had time to get back up, holding it down.

The Spearow struggled under the Shinx, trying to free itself. Blitz simply finished off the battle by pressing one of his paws against the Spearow and zapping him with his electricity, being careful not to overdo it.

"There, it's fainted," Blitz commented, as his teammates walked over. "We'll probably already have left this dungeon by the time it regains consciousness."

With the two battles done, the four Pokémon headed up the stairs to the next floor, with Chiaki complimenting Azure and Blitz on their battle styles as they moved along.

The second floor was mostly spent walking around, occasionally stopping to pick up an item from the ground, while Sera and Blitz explained to Chiaki how most Pokémon tend to have different battle styles, depending on their type, abilities and attacks they were capable of. As they moved onto the third floor, they came across a small purple rabbit-like Pokémon with several spikes on its back. The male Nidoran smirked as it saw the four Pokémon show up, apparently ready for a battle.

"Maybe you'd like to try to fight that one, Chiaki?" Sera suggested. "Careful, though. Those spikes on his back are poisonous."

Chiaki began approaching the Nidoran, figuring that attacking from behind would probably be a bad idea since the Nidoran had those toxic spikes on its back. The Nidoran also had a small horn on its forehead, which Chiaki correctly assumed also was poisonous.

"Uh… How do I fight it without touching the pointy parts?" Chiaki asked, looking to Sera for answers.

"Hold on…" Sera took a quick look into the treasure bag, before picking up a small seed she found on the previous floor, and using her tail to fling it to Chiaki. "You can use this!"

Chiaki caught the seed in his paw, and curiously examined it. He wondered how a small seed like this was supposed to help him defeat the Nidoran. He sniffed the seed, only sensing a faint spicy aroma. Figuring it couldn't do any harm, the curious Mienfoo decided to find out what the seed tasted like, putting it into his mouth. He soon felt a strong heat build inside his mouth, causing him to spit the seed out and watching as it exploded on impact with the Nidoran.

"What was that!?" Chiaki shouted, waving his paws in front of his mouth in an attempt to cool it down.

"That was a Blast Seed! It can be thrown at enemies or eaten to make it explode and damage the enemy!" Sera explained, wagging her tail happily.

"The latter does more damage, for some reason," Blitz added.

"Well, it's certainly a cool item, don't you think?" Azure asked, bouncing on her tail. "After all, who doesn't think it would be cool to spit explosions?"

Before Chiaki could really respond to this, the Nidoran pecked his shoulder with his horn, seeming understandably angry with Chiaki for spitting the exploding seed at him. Chiaki found the Peck attack rather painful, since it was a flying type based attack. Chiaki braced himself for another attack, but it didn't come. It seemed as if the Nidoran was waiting for him to make his next move first, although it also gave the impression that it might attack again if Chiaki took too long to decide his next move. Perhaps this was part of the rules, or was the Nidoran just doing this because it wanted to?

"Don't worry, you can do this!" Sera cheered. "Here, let me give you a Helping Hand!"

Sera jumped up into the air, doing a flip before landing back on the ground, releasing a white wave of energy as her feet touched the ground. The glowing wave reached to her teammates, giving them some extra energy. With the power boost granted from Sera's Helping Hand move, Chiaki pounded the Nidoran with his paw. With the damage it had already taken from the Blast Seed in addition to the Pound attack, the Nidoran fainted.

"Yay! I did it!" Chiaki said, doing a little victory dance.

"Well done, Chiaki!" Sera commented, walking up to him. "And as we all gain more experience, we'll eventually learn to use even more attacks! Oh, and there are also other items besides the Blast Seed that we can use to give us an edge in battles!"

"Walk while you explain!" Azure said, bouncing past the two.

The four Pokémon continued walking through the dungeon, Sera and Blitz explaining various items that could aid in battle to Chiaki, and Azure gleefully sending the occasional wild Pokémon they came across flying with a strike from her tail. As they moved onto the fourth floor, they came across a female Nidoran. The female Nidoran looked a bit different from the males; it had fewer toxic spikes on its back, rounder ears and was blue instead of purple.

"Here I go!" Azure shouted, as she bounced right over to the Nidoran and gave the poison type the same treatment as the other Pokémon she had fought. However, after launching the poor poison type into the sky with her tail, Azure suddenly felt somewhat dizzy.

"Azure? Are you okay?" Chiaki asked, noticing that the Azurill seemed to be stumbling a bit.

"Anyone have a Pecha berry?" Azure asked, wincing in pain.

"Guess she forgot what we said about being careful when attacking a Nidoran physically," Blitz commented, while Sera looked through the bag. "If you're not careful, you might be in for a nasty surprise from the Nidoran's Poison Point."

"Luckily, there are items that can cure poisoning," Sera explained, pulling out a pink berry from her bag that they had also picked up on a previous floor. "Pecha berries cure poisoning, so they can be good to have with you!"

Sera used her tail to fling the berry over to Azure, who caught the berry in her mouth. Azure seemed to perk up a bit again once she had swallowed the sweet tasting berry.

"Higher ranked rescue teams might prefer to carry around Heal Seeds instead, since they work on more than just one thing," Blitz commented, taking some time to explain the various things wild Pokémon could inflict on them and which berries could cure them as they continued walking.

* * *

As they progressed through the fourth and fifth floors, Chiaki thought about the various things Sera and Blitz had been explaining to him so far, wondering if he would be able to remember it all. There was certainly a lot to keep in mind, and being on a rescue team probably wasn't as easy as it sounded, but Chiaki still wanted to be on a rescue team. In fact, seeing what it was really like, hearing about the things Sera and Blitz had to teach him was making him even more excited than he was to begin with.

"Hey, how am I doing so far?" Chiaki asked.

"You've been doing very well," Blitz responded, noticing a reddish bipedal cricket like Pokémon sleeping nearby, and pointing it out to Sera so they could make their way around it without necessarily having to wake it up.

"Yeah, you have!" Sera added, making sure to keep some distance between their group and the sleeping Kricketot as they moved along. Azure looked as if she wanted to march up to the Kricketot and challenge it to a fight, but managed to resist the urge to do so.

Chiaki smiled to himself as the four Pokémon quietly walked past the Kricketot so they could get to the stairs, the bug Pokémon staying asleep the whole time, its antennae occasionally knocking into each other, producing a xylophone-like sound. The four Pokémon soon reached the stairs, and moved onto the sixth floor of the dungeon.

"All right! We're getting near the end!" Sera said, happily wagging her tail. "That poor flying Pokémon won't have to wait for too much longer."

"I hope it's not too badly hurt…" Blitz commented, glancing around to see if he could figure out which way they would go next.

"Hey, Azure?" Chiaki looked over at the young Azurill that was happily bouncing along right behind him. "That Pokémon you saw, what did it look like?"

"Huh? Oh, I didn't get a very good look at it…" Azure tried to remember what she saw. "I think it _might've_ been a dragon, but I don't know for sure."

"Ooh, a dragon?" Chiaki inquired, seeming to like the idea of the rescue team potentially saving a dragon type Pokémon.

"Well, it must've been a pretty big Pokémon since I was able to see it from that distance," Azure responded, still trying her best to remember the small glimpse she caught of the falling Pokémon. "Like I said, I don't know for sure."

"Hope it doesn't mind walking all the way back to town when we find it," Chiaki said, thinking for a moment. "Unless Sera brought another one of those blue things she used to teleport us out of that forest yesterday?"

"Oh, we don't need an Escape Orb this time around!" Sera chimed in. "We can just use our rescue team badge to teleport ourselves and the injured Pokémon out!"

"Really?" Chiaki asked. "How does it do that?"

"Magic," Sera responded, picking up some coins she found on the ground. "Rescue team badges contain a special kind of magic, that when we finish a mission, allows us to teleport right back to town!"

"Whoa! That is _so_ cool!" Chiaki exclaimed.

"Oh, it's really nothing out of the ordinary," Sera responded. "All rescue teams have one of those, after all."

"Hey, are those blue orbs magical too?" Chiaki asked.

"Um… I'm not sure how those work, actually," Sera admitted.

"So, they might be magical?" Chiaki suggested.

"I don't see why not," Sera commented, shrugging slightly. "There's a lot of magic in this world."

The four Pokémon entered another room, in which there were three Nidoran, two of them male and one female. On second glance, they realized that one of the two males was asleep right in front of the stairs to the next floor.

"We have to fight more of these?" Azure seemed a bit annoyed, as she didn't want to risk being poisoned again. "Well, let's get it over with."

Azure took a few steps forward, keeping some distance between herself and one of the Nidoran. Her body tensed up a bit as she prepared to use an attack, but only a bit of foam came out of her mouth.

"Oh, come on!" Azure shouted as the foam just harmlessly dripped down from her mouth.

"What were you trying to do?" Chiaki asked, wiping the foam away from her mouth with the baggy skin on his arm, seeing as the Azurill species did not have hands until it evolved.

"I was wondering if I could use a Bubblebeam attack, but I guess I'm not strong enough to pull that off yet," Azure explained. "I should've just used Water Gun, or even a simple Bubble attack."

"Of course you'll figure it out!" Chiaki responded. "You certainly seem pretty strong!"

"Strength isn't everything," Blitz commented, as he dodged the attacks from the female Nidoran that was trying to strike him with her claws. "You also need to keep your head cool, and think before you act."

"Yeah," Sera responded, using Helping Hand to power up her teammates yet again. "And know when to use your items."

"I'll definitely keep that in mind!" Chiaki said as he used Pound on the male Nidoran, weakening it quite a bit, Azure proceeding to finish it off with another strike from her tail.

Blitz continued dodging the female Nidoran's Scratch attacks, ducking from the swipes of her claws and occasionally jumping back. He soon ended up standing against a tree, with the Nidoran smirking, believing she had the Shinx where she wanted him. She raised her paw to attack, only to receive a nasty surprise as Blitz caught her paw, holding it between his front paws and delivered an electric shock to the poison type, knocking her out.

"Two down, one more to go!" Azure shouted, glancing over at the male Nidoran that was still asleep near the stairs.

The four of them slowly approached the sleeping poison type. Sera almost felt bad about having to wake it up, seeing as the Nidoran seemed rather content. She wondered what the Nidoran was dreaming about. Her best guess was that it probably involved a giant pink gummi. After all, who hadn't had a dream like that? Sera was pretty certain each of her five older siblings had had a dream involving their favorite type of gummi at one point.

Sera led her team over to the Nidoran, the poison type slowly opening his red eyes as the rescue team got close. The Nidoran quickly got to his feet and prepared to fight, even if he was likely aware of it was going to be a one-sided one, seeing as there was only one of him against four of them. And it was indeed a one-sided fight, as it just took being tackled by Sera, followed by being zapped by Blitz to bring it down. The rescue team than moved onto the seventh floor, now only having to find one last set of stairs before they reached the end.

* * *

After a fairly uneventful floor of just wandering, fighting off a few Pokémon and finding some items that would likely not be of any use to them until later, the four Pokémon finally reached the end of the dungeon.

"I-Is someone there?" a voice called out.

As the rescue team quickly moved over to the injured Pokémon, they discovered that it wasn't a dragon that Azure had seen, but it could easily be mistaken for one at a distance. It was a large gray Pokémon, with big bat-like wings. The Aerodactyl raised his head, looking over the four small Pokémon that were approaching him.

"Did you come to rescue me?" the Aerodactyl asked, looking over at his injured right wing.

"Yeah," Sera responded, walking up to the Aerodactyl. "The Azurill here saw you fall out of the sky, so she asked us to go investigate!"

"Thank you…" the Aerodactyl responded, looking over at Azure. "I was practicing for the annual flying tournament on Wyvern Island, but something went horribly wrong…"

"Don't worry; I'm sure nurse Giselle can fix that wing for you!" Sera responded, trying to give the Aerodactyl a reassuring smile.

"Well, at least the tournament is still a few months away," the Aerodactyl glanced at his injured wing again. "Hopefully, I'll still have enough time to practice after my wing heals…"

"Then we better get out of this dungeon," Sera said, holding up the rescue badge. "The sooner we get you to Giselle, the better!"

Chiaki watched in awe as the rescue team badge began to glow with a golden light, and the wings on the sides of it began to flutter and lift itself up into the air above the five Pokémon. The golden light soon enveloped the five Pokémon, and before he knew it, they were back at the rescue team HQ. With its job done, the badge floated back down into Sera's paws. Chiaki found it pretty amazing to see this magic in action, even though it was probably a common sight to the rescue teams.

* * *

Once Sera came running into her office and explained what had happened, Giselle did not waste any time in heading outside to check on the Aerodactyl's wing. Blitz, Sera, Chiaki and Azure watched the Audino carefully examining the wing.

"My, you sure seem to have suffered a pretty nasty injury, Mr. Aeron," she commented.

"Will he be okay?" Azure asked, seeming a bit concerned about the Aerodactyl.

"Oh, don't worry," Giselle responded, smiling to the other Pokémon. "Just leave it to me, and that wing will eventually be as good as new!"

"Thanks, to all of you," Aeron the Aerodactyl responded, managing a smile despite still clearly being in a bit of a gray mood due to what had happened to his wing. "If there is anything I can ever do to repay you, let me know."

* * *

The four young Pokémon headed back into town, so Giselle could have some time alone to work on Aeron's wing. All four of them seemed pretty satisfied to know that they had managed to help someone, as well as getting to go on an adventure and see what being a rescue team is about in Azure and Chiaki's cases.

"Well, I better go now, my mother is probably waiting for me," Azure said, happily bouncing on top of her tail. "Thanks for taking me on an adventure!"

"You're welcome!" Sera responded. "Maybe we can do it again sometime?"

"Sure! I'll go on another adventure with you guys anytime!" Azure replied. "See you later!"

The remaining three Pokémon waved good-bye to Azure as she bounced away, before turning their attention to another matter at hand.

"So, do you still wish to join our rescue team, Chiaki?" Sera asked.

"Of course I do!" Chiaki responded. "Sure, there's a lot to remember about fighting and items and stuff, but it's all so awesome! I want to see more! I want to learn more! I want it all!"

"Okay then!" Sera said, giggling a little at Chiaki's enthusiasm. "Welcome to our rescue team!"

"Thanks!" Chiaki replied, grabbing one of Sera's forelegs and excitedly shaking it. "I promise I'll be the best teammate I can be!"

"I know you will," Sera responded, smiling at her new teammate.

"Yeah, you seem to be picking up on this pretty quickly," Blitz added. "Probably won't take long before you've learned everything you need to know."

Chiaki smiled, happy to be on a rescue team. He was happy to know that he would get to go on adventures, go on missions with Blitz and Sera and help Pokémon in need. Perhaps he would even discover who he was that way?

"Should we take Chiaki to see Stella now?" Blitz asked.

"Hmm… I don't know, it's nearly evening," Sera commented. "If I don't go home soon I'll be late for dinner."

"Oh, good point… We'll do it tomorrow, then?" Blitz suggested.

"Yeah, we'll do it tomorrow morning, before we head over to the HQ to find a new mission," Sera responded, nodding her head.

Chiaki was already excited about tomorrow. He would get to meet the town oracle, and go on his first mission as an official part of Sera and Blitz's rescue team. He looked forward to learning new things, helping other Pokémon and making new friends. He had no doubt that being on a rescue team was going to be a fun experience, and every day he would have a new adventure to look forward to.

* * *

**End of Chapter 3**


	4. Okay, I may not be the smartest claw, but I certainly know how to fight!

* * *

The sun was slowly going down, and it seemed like it was going to be a nice and quiet evening. Most of the rescue teams had returned from their missions by now, but a few were still not finished with today's work. Sting and his rescue team were on a mission to track down an outlaw that had stolen several expensive TMs, and it was only now that they were getting close to finishing the mission. They had done a lot of climbing and walking, and had finally reached the floor where the outlaw was supposed to be.

"Are you two doing okay?" Sting asked his two teammates, a pink Pokémon with an oval body and rabbit-like ears and a Pokémon resembling a polar bear with an icicle beard.

"No need to worry about us, Sting," the polar bear responded, the Beartic somewhat enviously glancing up at Sting's wings. "You're lucky you can fly, though…"

"I suppose we can think of this as exercise, though," the pink Pokémon commented, bouncing up the cliffs.

Sting, the Beartic and the Wigglytuff moved onto the tallest cliff in the area, and from there spotted something moving down below. It was a big bipedal Pokémon with yellow fur with black lines and patterns relating to electricity. It also had two long black tails with red tips, and was carrying a sack.

"That's the outlaw described in the mission!" Sting buzzed, and began flying down to the Electivire at a high speed.

"Sting, wait up!" the Beartic shouted, before looking over at the Wigglytuff. "How are we supposed to follow him?"

"We climb down," she replied, and carefully began making her away down.

"More climbing, _of course_ ," the Beartic responded, following the Wigglytuff's lead. "At least this isn't Mt. Frostbite, or we'd probably be hit by an avalanche..."

Sting flew towards the Electivire, preparing to strike him with the poison stingers on his arms. However, the Electivire managed to step to the side and avoid his attack, much to Sting's surprise. It didn't take long before Sting realized that it was probably the buzzing sound of his wings that had given him away.

"So… What do we have here?" the Electivire asked, smirking. "Some rescue team leader who came to arrest me?"

"You got that right!" Sting buzzed, pointing a stinger at the outlaw. "Return those TMs!"

"Oh, you mean _these_ TMs?" the Electivire said, holding up the sack.

The Electivire put the sack containing the stolen TMs on the ground, and began walking towards Sting, who was still hovering in the air a short distance away and pointing a stinger at him.

"Yeah, _that's_ not going to happen," the Electivire said, not seeming particularly concerned about the situation. "So, why don't you just buzz off so I don't have to beat you up? Or are you really going to fight me, _insect_?"

Sting prepared to strike at the Electivire with a Poison Jab attack, only to be electrocuted by the Electivire's wire-like tails before he could make his move. Sting fell to the ground, his wings twitching in pain. Sting's teammates saw this happen while they tried to make their way down to him.

"Oh no, Sting's in trouble!" the Beartic exclaimed. "What do we do, Melody? We've got to get down there fast! This guy is too tough for Sting alone!"

"Hang on, Frosty…" the Wigglytuff replied, having noticed one particular cliff above the two Pokémon that was fighting below them. "I think I have an idea!"

Melody quickly climbed down to said cliff, Frosty following her down to it. He cast a worried glance down at Sting, who was trying to get back up, while the outlaw was slowly approaching him with a sinister smile on his face.

"So, what's the plan?" Frosty asked.

"Well, first of all, you need to step back for a moment," Melody said, before taking a deep breath. She continued to inhale, her rubbery, flexible body expanding as it filled with air. She quickly grew bigger and rounder, her body taking on a more spherical shape.

As Melody finished inflating herself, Frosty noticed a flash of light from below and heard Sting buzzing in pain as the Electivire electrocuted him again.

"Frosty! Quick, give me a push!" Melody shouted.

Below, Sting was once again trying to get back up, but found that he was unable to move. Things weren't going well for him, but he had no intention of giving up.

"Surrender yet?" the Electivire asked, smirking at his opponent, who at this point seemed to be having difficulty fighting back.

"N-No…" Sting muttered. "Besides, even if… you do defeat me… Someone else will come after you and…"

Sting trailed off, as he noticed something above them. Before the Electivire had time to react, he was knocked into the ground as a certain inflated Wigglytuff hit him from above and knocked him down. Melody bounced back up a bit after the impact, before body slamming the Electivire again as he tried to get back up, the second impact knocking the Electivire out.

"You okay, Sting?" Melody asked as she rolled down from the now unconscious Electivire's back.

"I will be," Sting responded, seeming rather worn out and relieved that the battle was over. "Thanks, Melody. I owe you one."

"You're welcome!" Melody cheerfully responded, lightly bouncing a little. "Besides, no one treats my friends that way and gets away with it!"

Frosty finally made his way down to his teammates, and walked over to the sack containing the TMs and picked it up.

"We did it, guys!" he said as he held up the bag. "Now we can return these TMs to their rightful owners, and hand the bad guy over to the police!"

"Yeah," Sting responded as he tried to get back onto his feet. "Thanks to us, things will be a little safer now as there will be one less outlaw to worry about!"

"This was a tough mission, though," Melody commented while deflating her body back to its normal size.

"You got that right…" Frosty replied. "Will be nice to get back to town and get some sleep…"

"Well, let's head back then," Sting commented, as he pulled out their team's rescue team badge, the top half of his team's badge was gold-colored. "So, let's just deliver the things, pick up the reward and call it a day!"

The rescue team badge released its golden glow, enveloping Sting, his teammates and the outlaw and teleporting them out of the dungeon. And so another day of work was over for Sting and his teammates, and they could all head home for some rest. It was going to be a quiet and peaceful night for the Pokémon of Fenix Town.

* * *

After the night came another bright and sunny morning. A red and white bird was going around town, delivering mail to the Pokémon of Fenix Town. The Delibird kept the newspapers and letters he delivered inside his white sack-like tail, and he gladly delivered the mail every morning. While it was a lot of work to do, he got to meet a lot of Pokémon through his job. Plus, it made him feel kind of important, since newspapers, letters and the occasional rescue mission addressed to particular rescue teams wouldn't make it to recipients without him. That all made it worth it, he thought.

The Delibird pulled out a scroll with the list of deliveries he had to make today, and smiled to himself upon realizing he was already ahead of schedule. The Delibird walked down the path leading outside of town and to where Stella the Gothitelle lived. He walked up the stone building, and was about to put a newspaper down in front of their door, when Stella happened to poke her head out, having sensed his presence with her psychic powers.

"Ah, hello Santos," she said, smiling sweetly at the Delibird.

"Oh, good morning, Stella!" he responded, before noticing the Gothitelle was holding an envelope in her hand.

"I'm glad you showed up, as I just finished this letter for a certain friend of mine," she explained, handing Santos the envelope. "Can you deliver this to my friend in Silver Woods?"

"Sure! I'll add to my list and deliver it as soon as possible!" Santos replied, storing the letter inside his tail.

"Thank you so much," Stella responded. "I really appreciate it."

"Just doing my job!" he replied, saluting Stella before flying off. Shortly after he had left, Blitz, Sera and Chiaki walked up to Stella.

"Oh! Hello there!" Stella greeted them. "I had a feeling I would get visitors today, but I didn't know it would be you."

"It's nice to see you too, Stella!" Sera responded. "We're not just here to say hi, though. We kind of need your help with something."

"Oh? Well then, come in and let's talk," Stella responded, pulling the curtain aside with telekinesis and motioning for the three Pokémon to enter. Upon entering, the three of them noticed that Bow was standing in a corner, seeming to be deep in thought.

"What _was_ that vision?" Bow muttered to herself, trying to remember a vision she had last night. The Gothorita was soon distracted from her thoughts as she noticed the visiting Pokémon. "Oh! Hey guys!"

"Hi Bow," Blitz said. "How are you?"

"Fine, I guess," Bow responded. "Had this vision last night, but I can't remember what it was… Hey, who's your new friend?"

"Oh, this is Chiaki," Blitz explained. "He's kind of the reason why we're here."

"Yeah, we found him in Meridian Forest a couple of days ago," Sera added. "He doesn't remember anything about who he is."

"Is that so?" Stella asked, watching Chiaki curiously.

"Uh-huh, and nurse Giselle tried to help, but couldn't, so we came to you!" Sera explained.

"I see…" Stella responded.

"Can you help us?" Blitz asked, looking up at the Gothitelle with his golden eyes.

"I'll see what I can do…" Stella said, leaning down and placing her hands on the sides of Chiaki's head. "Don't worry, this won't hurt at all."

Chiaki closed his eyes, and let Stella take a look into his mind. The white ribbon-like feelers on Stella's body began to glow as she established the psychic link between herself and Chiaki. She began examining the Mienfoo's mind, but couldn't find any traces of anything would suggest someone else had done something to his mind. His only memories were the ones from the last two days. However, there was one thing that caught Stella's attention.

"You said you found him in Meridian Forest, correct?" Stella asked.

"Yeah, that's right," Blitz responded.

"Hmm… This reminds me of a vision I had not long ago…" Stella said. "I don't know if there's any connection, but it might still be worth bringing up…"

"What kind of vision was it?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"I saw a small Pokémon fleeing from another Pokémon," Stella said. "I think I saw the Axis Tower in the distance at one point during the vision, which suggests that those Pokémon were in the Meridian Forest."

"Really?" Blitz asked. "What kind of Pokémon?"

"Unfortunately, I couldn't see the two Pokémon clearly in my vision," Stella explained.

"Oh…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Hey, what if he's a human?" Bow suggested.

"What's a human?" Chiaki asked.

"Strange creatures that live in another dimension," Sera explained. "They've visited our world a few times, and apparently there are even some types of Pokémon that first came to this world by tagging along with some of those humans."

"Uh-huh! And there were also at least two instances where a human came to this world, and became a Pokémon and saved the world!" Bow added. "Both of those humans also lost their memories, so I thought it might be worth bringing up!"

"Well, that is a good theory, but I'm afraid there's no evidence to it," Stella replied. "If he were a human, those previous events suggest that he'd at least remember his name and that he was a former human, but Chiaki seems to have no such memories…"

"Oh, okay," Bow said. "Now where was I? Oh, right… Trying to remember that vision…"

"So, I guess you don't know anything else?" Sera asked.

"No, but I will try to get more answers for you," Stella said to the rescue team. "If I have any visions that might give us some more clues, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Stella!" Sera responded.

"I knew we could count on you!" Blitz added.

* * *

After saying good-bye to Stella and Bow, the three Pokémon headed up to the rescue team HQ to find a new mission. As the three of them arrived, they noticed Sting and his rescue team looking up missions on the rescue board.

"Ooh, how about this mission over at the Boiling Alcove?" Melody suggested, pointing to a mission posted on the board.

"No way, that place is _way_ too hot!" Frosty protested. "Don't you remember? The last time we were there, my epic icicle beard almost melted!"

"Hey guys!" Sera greeted the other rescue team.

"Oh, hello there, Sera," Sting responded.

"I see you're looking for missions too," Blitz commented. "What are you planning on doing?"

"We haven't decided yet," Melody responded. "We had a pretty tough mission yesterday, so we're definitely going to take on something a bit easier today."

"Oh, what kind of mission was it?" Chiaki asked.

"Had to track down this outlaw who stole a bunch of expensive TMs," Melody responded, reading another mission on the board. "He was pretty tough, and gave Sting some nasty electric shocks."

"Ooh, sounds kind of scary…" Blitz commented.

"But don't worry, we managed to beat him and get those TMs back!" Melody said with a smirk. "Body slamming that guy into the ground felt _so_ good!"

"Ah, I think I found our mission for today!" Sting buzzed, pointing one of his stingers at a mission put up by an Ampharos that was asking someone to help her find her missing abacus. While Sting and his teammates read through the mission, Chiaki glanced over at the outlaw board.

"Hey, maybe we should try catching an outlaw too?" Chiaki suggested.

"Huh? Y-You're suggesting we go after an outlaw?" Blitz asked.

"Well, why not?" Chiaki asked. "It would probably be a good experience for me."

"But… You only just joined our team," Blitz said, nervously rubbing his forelegs together. "And Sera and I haven't actually taken any outlaw missions yet…"

"Oh, you haven't?" Chiaki inquired, tilting his head slightly. "Well, I suppose _sometime_ has got to be the first, don't you think?"

"Yeah, he _does_ have a point there," Sera responded.

"But… do you really think we're ready?" Blitz asked, clearly still nervous about it.

"Don't worry, Blitz!" Sera said, patting the Shinx on the back with her paw. "We'll choose some outlaw that doesn't look too tough for us to begin with. I'm sure there's at least one of these guys that we can easily take down."

"Well… Okay then…" Blitz reluctantly agreed.

"All right then! Let's find us an outlaw to catch!" Chiaki beamed, and so the three Pokémon moved over to the outlaw board.

They began reading through some of the missions, which included such missions as one from the local police force requesting assistance in catching a trio of kleptomaniac Ducklett, or a mission from a Kadabra asking for someone to go get his spoon back from a Murkrow. There was also another mission from the local police force promising a large bounty for an Emolga that had apparently stolen many unusual things, the list even claiming she had stolen the moon at some point.

"Whoa, how'd she steal _the moon_?" Chiaki asked, staring in awe.

"Don't you think they're just exaggerating a little…?" Blitz responded.

"Um… Excuse me?" a voice called out, the rescue team turning to see a certain blue rabbit-like Pokémon. "Oh! Aren't you the rescue team that took my daughter on an adventure yesterday?"

"Oh, you're Azure's mother!" Sera responded. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I was working in the café as usual, when I heard some noises from the kitchen," the Azumarill explained. "So, I went to investigate, and saw one of the cooks chasing a Deino that had managed to sneak in through the back."

"A Deino?" Sera asked.

"Yes, a Deino," the Azumarill responded. "I'm guessing he must've found his way in by following the scent of freshly baked cupcakes, and he managed to eat almost an entire tray of cupcakes before he was caught and ran off."

"I see," Sera responded.

"The impression I got is that he didn't mean to do anything bad, but he also didn't try hard enough to stop himself," the Azumarill said. "So, all I really need is someone to go after him and bring him back to me so I can have a little talk with him."

"We could do that!" Sera said, looking over at Chiaki and Blitz. "Right, guys?"

"I suppose…" Blitz responded. "It doesn't sound that difficult…"

"Cool!" Chiaki exclaimed. "Yesterday, we helped Azure with a mission, and today we're helping her mother with a mission!"

"Huh, you're right," Blitz pointed out. "What a strange coincidence…"

"Well, I better get back to the café, so I wish you luck in finding the Deino," the Azumarill commented. "Unfortunately, I don't know where he ran off to, so you may have to ask a few Pokémon around town if they've seen him."

* * *

After receiving their mission, the three began taking a walk around town, looking for Pokémon that might know something. They began by asking the Pokémon running the various services, and it turned out the Togetic running the daycare had caught a glimpse of the Deino running towards the path leading to the mystery dungeons closest to town, but he couldn't offer any directions beyond that. They headed down the path, hoping to run into someone who might have seen which dungeon the Deino went into. They soon came across a blue bipedal Pokémon with webbed hands and feet, and a pointy duck bill.

"Excuse me, sir?" Blitz asked. "Have you seen a Deino anywhere around here?"

"Quack?" The Golduck responded, tilting his head slightly.

"We're looking for a Deino that was apparently headed in this direction," Sera explained. "Did you by any chance see which dungeon he went into?"

"Quack!" the Golduck replied, nodding his head.

"Oh, you did?" Sera asked. "Well, where did he go?"

"Quack!" the Golduck responded.

"Um… What?" Sera asked.

"Quack!" the Golduck said yet again.

"Uh… Sorry, sir, but we don't understand your accent…" Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Quack?" the Golduck thoughtfully held a webbed hand to his chin for a moment, before having an idea and pointing a claw at Sera's bag. "Quack!"

"Huh?" Sera responded, before realizing what the Golduck was getting at. "Oh! I get it!"

Sera pulled out the map and rolled it out on the ground, the Golduck then pointing a claw at a cave marked as a mystery dungeon on the map.

"So, he went into the Granite Grotto?" Blitz inquired.

"Quack!" the Golduck responded, nodding his head.

"Okay, got it," Sera said, rolling the map up again. "Thanks for your help, mister Golduck."

"Quack!" the Golduck cheerfully responded, waving good-bye to the rescue team as they headed off for Granite Grotto.

* * *

At the entrance to the cave the three Pokémon took a quick look at the supplies they had brought along.

"Hmm… This should be enough, shouldn't it?" Sera asked.

"I suppose," Blitz responded. "We don't really have any items that can cure confusion, though. Since this is a cave, I'm guessing there will likely be Zubat inside…"

"Well, we'll probably be okay," Sera said, closing the lid. "After all, how hard can it be to dodge a few of their sound wave attacks?"

"Depends on the situation, I think…" Blitz commented as the three of them entered the cave.

The three of them found themselves on the first floor of the cave, Blitz deciding to provide them with some light inside the dark cave by making his fur glow. They began walking down the rocky path, the walls of the maze also pretty much just consisting of rocks.

"So… How many floors is this place, again?" Sera asked as she led her team into one of the rooms.

"Ten," Blitz responded. "How far in do you think the Deino went?"

"There's only one way to find out!" Chiaki shouted, picking up some coins from the ground.

"Yeah, let's keep going," Sera replied.

The three of them kept on moving, Blitz serving as their living flashlight and illuminating their path to the stairs. Moving onto the next floor, they found a few more useful items on the ground, and added them to their supplies, the three continued heading over to another room, only to come across two blue bats with pointy ears and no eyes.

" _Of course_ there had to be Zubat," Sera commented.

"Shame my Flash attack won't work on these guys," Blitz commented. "I don't really feel like fighting them, but I guess we have to…"

"Well, let's just finish them off quickly so that it won't be a long fight, then!" Sera commented, using her Helping Hand attack to give Blitz and Chiaki a power boost.

"If only they'd come a little closer to the ground…" Blitz muttered while waving his electrified paw at one of the two bats flying just out of his reach.

"Do we have any Blast Seeds?" Chiaki asked. "I bet if we threw one of those at them, they'd come tumbling right down so we could hit them with an attack!"

"Ooh, good idea, Chiaki!" Sera responded, looking through the bag. "Except we don't have any Blast Seeds with us at the moment…"

One of the Zubat screeched and swooped down, preparing to sink its fangs into Chiaki. Chiaki quickly knocked the Zubat to the ground with his paw, and then placed one of his feet onto one of the dazed Zubat's long thin legs to hold it down.

"Guess we'll just have to do it like this, then!" Chiaki responded, knocking the Zubat out.

Following Chiaki's lead, Blitz waited for the other Zubat to swoop down, before knocking it out with his electrified paw. The three of them continued exploring, the rest of the second floor being mostly uneventful apart from finding a few items and fighting a couple of more Zubat. On the third floor, the three of them began talking about how they would handle the Deino.

"While he may not be that bad of a Pokémon, he'll probably get frightened and start up a fight with us anyways…" Blitz commented. "Do you think we can use any of the items we have with us to make things easier?"

"I suppose the Sleep Seed we picked up earlier can be helpful," Sera replied. "Hey, Blitz? Don't you like; know an attack that works pretty well against dragons?"

"Huh? You mean my Ice Fang attack?" Blitz asked.

"Yes! That's the one!" Sera responded. "If I remember correctly, you also know how to use Fire Fang, right?"

"Whoa! That sounds awesome!" Chiaki chimed in. "Could you show me those attacks sometime?"

"Um… I guess I could…" Blitz responded. "I don't like using them in battle, though..."

"Why not?" Chiaki asked.

"… I'd rather not talk about it, if that's okay with you," Blitz replied.

"Oh, that's okay!" Chiaki responded. "You can tell me about it later!"

Blitz sighed, not really having anything to comment on Chiaki's obliviousness. Chiaki clearly didn't understand that Blitz had no intention of revealing why he refused to use his Ice and Fire Fang attacks on other Pokémon. There was only one Pokémon in all of Fenix Town that knew, and that was Hercules, the Heracross running the local dojo. Blitz's mother had apparently known Hercules when she was younger, and had sent Hercules a letter explaining the events that had lead to her deciding to send him to Fenix Town to train with him.

"Ooh, there's the stairs!" Sera called out, bringing Blitz's attention back to the mission.

After getting to the stairs and moving onto the fourth floor, the three Pokémon came across another Pokémon resembling a rock with arms. While the Geodude was a bit difficult to take out without any attacks that were effective against rock types, the rescue team was at least glad to have _some_ variety after all the Zubat. Of course, there were still plenty more Zubat to fight.

"Still no sign of that Deino…" Sera commented, looking around. "Did he manage to get all the way to the end of the dungeon?"

"He might have…" Blitz responded while hitting another Zubat with his electrified paw as it swooped down at them.

"Well, at least we're almost halfway through this dungeon!" Chiaki optimistically replied.

"Right, so let's just keep on moving!" Sera said.

* * *

The fifth and sixth floors went by, more items found, a few wild Pokémon fought and not much else happening. Sera continued to lead her teammates through the seventh floor, keeping an eye out for any other items that would be useful in a battle against an outlaw, even if they had probably already picked up enough items for the fight. Maybe she too was a little nervous about the upcoming fight? Not as much as Blitz was earlier that day, but maybe just a little? Well, even if a tiny bit nervous, she still felt fairly confident and didn't have any doubts that her team could handle this little mission.

As they entered another room, they noticed a yellow snake-like creature with tiny wings on its back and a drill-like tail sleeping in a corner. The rescue team quietly snuck past the sleeping Dunsparce without much difficulty, and after quickly checking the room for items, moved onto the next room where they found the stairs leading to the next floor. Upon walking up to the eighth floor, they came across a small round Pokémon with metal armor covering most of its body except for its dark gray underbelly.

"Huh, didn't know there were Aron in here," Sera commented, as the small steel type walked closer.

"I think they only appear on the seventh-to-ninth floors of this dungeon, but I could be wrong," Blitz responded, blue sparks of electricity rippling through his fur as he began charging electricity for his next attack. The electricity building up causing his fur to stand up, as his body's glow gained an electric bluish tint to it.

"Do I have any other attacks I can use?" Chiaki wondered out loud while looking at his paws. "Just using Pound gets kind of repetitive…"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did know another move or two that could be used to give you an energy boost or something like that," Blitz responded while zapping the Aron with his paw now being charged with extra electricity.

"Well, how do I use it?" Chiaki asked.

"Um… I doubt it would be a move I can use, so you'll have to figure that out on your own," Blitz responded.

"Oh, okay! I'll see what I can do!" Chiaki replied, knocking out the Aron with his Pound attack.

They continued moving through the eighth floor, Chiaki occasionally stopping to see if he could figure out how to use another one of his attacks. However, his attempts, which mostly consisted of grunting and making silly poses, didn't really do anything at all. He wasn't really sure how he would know what he was supposed to do to use an attack. Hadn't Blitz said something about a place in town where rescue teams could train? Chiaki made a mental note to ask Blitz about that later as they headed towards the stairs.

They moved onto the ninth floor, and there was only one more set of stairs to find before they reached the end of the dungeon. The long walk through the dungeon had given the three of them plenty of time to mentally prepare themselves for the battle that was probably ahead of them, but were they really ready?

* * *

At the end of the mystery dungeon, a small blue skinned dragon with black fur concealing most of his face except his mouth was trying to find his way out. Unfortunately for the Deino, there was nothing but walls in the direction he had been trying to go. The dragon Pokémon kept pushing his head against a wall as he tried to walk on, but eventually figured he wasn't going to be able to get anywhere.

"Yep… This is _definitely_ a dead end," the Deino said to himself.

The young dragon attempted to move in another direction, only to end up bumping into another wall. He tried to walk a bit further while pushing his head against the wall, but still no progress.

"Another one?" he muttered, tilting his head in confusion.

He kept pacing around the cave, continuing to bump into the rocky cave walls. He eventually realized that he wouldn't be finding an exit this way, and laid down on the cave floor, unsure what to do.

"I'm really lost, aren't I?" the Deino muttered. "Is this how it ends for me? Stuck in a cave, forever alone?"

The Deino moved his head around, thinking he faintly heard something. Unbeknownst to him, Sera and her rescue team had just made it to the last floor.

"Oh, there you are!" Sera said.

"Ah! Who's there?" the Deino exclaimed, startled at the sudden sound of another Pokémon's voice. "Are you a ghost? Please don't eat me…"

"Huh?" Sera said, tilting her head in confusion. "No, I'm not a ghost…"

"Are you sure?" the Deino asked.

"Of course I'm sure!" Sera responded, taking a step forward along with the rest of the rescue team. "I'm the leader of a rescue team, which River sent to find you!"

"River?" Chiaki inquired. "Oh, is that Azure's mother's name?"

"Yes, it is," Blitz responded, nodding his head.

"Huh?" the Deino responded, before realizing what was going on. "Oh! Is this because of the cupcakes? Are you here to punish me!?"

"Hey, relax," Sera said, trying to keep the dragon calm. "We just-"

"Don't hurt me!" the Deino shouted, spitting a purple fireball at the rescue team. The three Pokémon quickly leaped out of the way, Blitz accidentally intensifying the glow of his body for a moment. However, the Flash attack failed to affect the Deino in any way, seeing as the dragon did not have very well developed eyes under the black fur and therefore was blind in his current form.

"Looks like your Flash attack won't have any effect," Chiaki commented, stating the obvious.

"Hey, where are you?" the Deino asked, firing another Dragon Rage attack in their general direction. Blitz and Chiaki managed to dodge the attack again.

"Well, it looks like we _do_ have to fight…" Blitz commented. "So, let's all try attacking from different angles!"

"Okay!" Sera responded, as the three of them began moving closer to the Deino.

"Which angles will you be attacking from?" the Deino asked.

"Why would we tell you that?" Chiaki asked, while Sera used Helping Hand to power up him and Blitz.

"I don't know…" the Deino responded, sniffing the air in an attempt to pick up on the three Pokémon's scent and figure out their current positions that way.

Sera ran past the Deino, her tail brushing against the little dragon. He tried to hit her with another Dragon Rage, only to be tackled from the side by Blitz. Even though the attacks hadn't done that much damage, the Deino knew he was in a tough spot. The young dragon type Pokémon took a deep breath, taking a moment to concentrate, even as Chiaki hit him with his Pound attack. The Deino took a moment to listen in order to get a better idea of his surroundings and where his opponents were.

"Okay, I may not be the smartest claw, but I certainly know how to fight!" the Deino shouted, before exhaling a Focus Energy-boosted Dragonbreath attack which managed to hit and instantly knock Blitz out, much to Sera and Chiaki's surprise. With Blitz knocked out, he could no longer provide the light for his team and the cave went dark.

"No, Blitz!" Sera shouted. "This is _really_ bad!"

"Don't we have an item that could provide some light, or something?" Chiaki asked.

"No, we don't…" Sera responded, her ears drooping slightly.

"Oh, I actually hit one of them?" the Deino said, seeming surprised. "Cool."

The Deino fired another Dragon Rage, which Chiaki managed to avoid by jumping out of the way and letting the ball of purple fire hit a wall. The purple flare of the fireball suddenly gave Chiaki an idea.

"You missed me! Try again!" Chiaki shouted.

"Oh, okay…" the Deino fired another fireball in the direction of Chiaki's voice, but Chiaki managed to dodge the attack yet again.

"Keep trying!" Chiaki shouted.

The Deino kept firing more purple fireballs at Chiaki, who kept evading the attacks and then telling the Deino to try again. After a few moments, Sera realized what Chiaki was doing and what _she_ was supposed to do while he kept the Deino distracted. During the brief purple flashes where it was possible for her to see her surroundings, Sera ran over to Blitz's unconscious form and gave him a Reviver Seed.

"Blitz, wake up!" Sera whispered to him, hoping the Deino wouldn't hear her and figure out that Chiaki was just distracting him. The Shinx slowly opened his golden eyes, groaning a bit.

"Ugh… I think he got that phrase wrong…" the dazed Shinx muttered. "It's " _sharpest_ claw", not " _smartest_ "…"

"Blitz, are you okay?" Sera asked, still whispering as to not draw the Deino's attention away from Chiaki. "Come on, we need some light…"

"Just a moment…" Blitz said, before closing his eyes and letting his fur shine again.

The Deino didn't realize that Blitz's glowing fur was now lighting up the cave again, and that the rescue team now had regained a bit of an advantage. Chiaki grinned as he saw that his plan had worked perfectly. He continued keeping up his distracting of the dragon type while giving Blitz and Sera some time to quietly plan out their next move. Sera pulled a small seed out from the bag, showing it to Blitz.

"If we can just fling this into the Deino's mouth, then the battle should end pretty quickly," Sera said.

"Agreed," Blitz responded. "We may need Chiaki for that, though."

Sera nodded and waved her paw for Chiaki to come over. Chiaki quietly moved over to his teammates, letting the Deino fire a few fireballs at a random cave wall for a few moments.

"Chiaki, do you think you can throw this Vile Seed into the Deino's mouth?" Sera asked.

"Sure! Just leave it to me!" Chiaki responded, taking the seed.

"Hey, where'd you go?" the Deino asked, realizing the voices weren't coming from the direction he had been randomly firing in.

"Oh, I'm over here! Just turn around!" Chiaki shouted while Blitz and Sera moved out of the way.

The Deino turned around, and now Chiaki just had to wait for the right moment. The Deino soon opened his mouth to inhale in preparation for another attack, and at that point Chiaki quickly flung the seed right into the Deino's open mouth.

"Urk!" the Deino accidentally swallowed the seed. "What just flew into my mouth?"

"Now, attack!" Sera shouted, as she ran towards the Deino and tackled him, followed by Blitz doing the same and then finally Chiaki running up and hitting the Deino with his paw.

The Deino was knocked onto his back, and he realized that their attacks were now doing more damage to him than they had done earlier in the fight. It took a few seconds to realize the seed he had swallowed had to have been a Vile Seed, which had lowered his defenses as low as they could go.

"Maybe you'd like to give up now?" Chiaki asked, giving the Deino a friendly smile, even though the dragon could not see him. "We'd be fine with that."

The Deino considered his options for a moment. He _could_ keep fighting, seeing as even though they had an advantage now, he was still stronger than they were. However, then it occurred to him that if he _did_ defeat the rescue team, then how _would_ he get out of the cave? Would he be trapped there forever, alone and with nothing to eat but rocks?

"… Okay, I surrender," the Deino said, turning over onto his stomach and sadly laying his head down on the rocky cave floor. "I guess you can go ahead and take me to jail… It's nicer than being stuck in a cave with nothing but rocks, I suppose. It'll be an awkward conversation with my mother though, since she works there as a psychiatrist…"

"Hey, relax!" Sera said. "We're not going to arrest you!"

"Oh, you're not?" the Deino asked. "Thanks, that's really nice of you…"

"Of course, we're not going to just let you off the hook either," Sera commented. "You'll have to come with us, and have a talk with River."

"Yeah, I guess…" the Deino replied. "I did something wrong, and have to make up for it…"

"Why'd you do it in the first place?" Blitz asked.

"Oh, you see… There were these Pokémon who wanted to find this treasure, but couldn't because it was like, hidden and stuff," the Deino explained. "So, they asked me to help them sniff out the treasure, but I kind of got distracted and ended up getting all of us chased out of a cave by an angry Ursaring who thought we were trying to steal her supply of delicious honey."

"Oh… I'm guessing those Pokémon weren't too happy about that, huh?" Sera asked.

"You got that right…" the Deino replied. "They got mad and yelled at me for messing it up, and that made me feel bad… I tend to eat when I'm upset…"

"Oh, I see…" Sera said, comfortingly patting the Deino's back.

"Can we head back now? I'm tired of this cave…" the Deino commented. "There's nothing to eat in here but rocks, and I don't think rocks are good for me..."

"Okay then, let's head back!" Sera said, as the rescue team badge began hovering above them.

"Thanks for finding me, whoever you guys are," the Deino said, smiling at the three Pokémon. "My name's Frederick, by the way."

"Oh, you're welcome!" Sera responded. "My name is Sera, and I'm an Eevee! And my teammates are Blitz the Shinx and Chiaki the Mienfoo."

"It's nice to meet you!" Blitz said.

"What they said!" Chiaki added, shaking the Deino's paw.

"It's nice to meet you too!" Frederick cheerfully responded.

The floating rescue team badge soon released its magical golden light, teleporting the four Pokémon out of the dark cave.

* * *

In the meantime, at the café, River had just taken a few customers' orders, when Bow suddenly came running into the building.

"River!" the Gothorita shouted, leaning on the counter and taking a moment to catch her breath.

"What is it?" the Azumarill asked.

"I had a vision last night!" Bow explained. "I saw a Pokémon sneak into the back and steal some cupcakes, so I thought I'd come over here and warn you!"

"Oh, um… I appreciate the thought, but you're a bit late," River responded. "That's already happened."

"Oh…" Bow said, sighing. "I did all that running for nothing, huh? If only I'd remembered sooner…"

"It's okay, Bow," River said. "Sera and her teammates are already out dealing with it for me."

"Oh, okay…" the Gothorita responded. "Well, that was all I came for, so… guess I'll head back home now. Bye!"

And with that, Bow left the café. Only a few moments after the Gothorita left, Sera, her teammates and Frederick stepped through the door.

"We're back!" Sera announced as they entered the café.

"Oh, welcome back!" River greeted them. "I see your mission was a success."

"Uh-huh!" Sera replied. "We found Frederick and brought him back here, just like you asked!"

"Well done!" River said, before looking over at the Deino in question. "So, your name is Frederick, huh?"

"Yeah…" he responded, nodding his head slightly. "Sorry about eating those cupcakes… You're not going to send me to jail, are you?"

"Oh, of course not!" River replied, petting the Deino on the head. "However, we do need to sort out what to do now, since you do owe me a bit of money for those cupcakes."

"Oh! I could work here to work off the debt!" Frederick suggested.

"Ah, so we had the same idea," River commented. "So, I'm guessing that's okay with you?"

"Sure, and even if it weren't, my parents would probably tell me to do it anyways," Frederick replied. "Hey, if I do a good job, do I get free dessert?"

"Hmm… We'll see about that," River responded, giving a small chuckle.

"Hey, where's Azure?" Chiaki asked, having noticed that the Azurill wasn't there at the moment.

"Oh, she went to buy some White Gummis, after she realized how much money she had saved up from her allowance," River explained. "Oh, and speaking of money…"

River picked up a small bag and produced 300 coins from it. She then handed those coins to Sera, since she was the leader of the rescue team.

"Here's your reward for finishing my mission!" River said.

"Wow, thanks River!" Sera responded, happily wagging her tail.

"We'll try to spend it wisely," Blitz added.

"Hey… Our rescue team badge looks different!" Chiaki exclaimed, pointing to the rescue team badge. The top half of it had changed color, and was now bronze colored.

"Hey, you're right… It _does_ look different!" Sera responded, her ears perking up. "Wow, does that mean what I think it does?"

"Yeah, with that last mission, we must've gotten enough experience to advance to Bronze rank!" Blitz said.

"Awesome!" Sera shouted out, happily wagging her tail.

"Sounds good, but what exactly does it mean for us?" Chiaki asked.

"It means we can do tougher missions now!" Sera said, smiling proudly. "Also, we'll get a bigger treasure bag!"

"Ooh! Let's go pick that up right now!" Chiaki shouted excitedly.

And so, after saying good-bye to River and Frederick, the three of them headed back to the rescue team HQ to pick up their new treasure bag. With their new rank, bigger challenges were sure to come their way soon.

* * *

**End of Chapter 4**


	5. Sand Attack has officially become a lot more complicated than it has any right to be.

* * *

The sun was slowly rising in the distance as a small Pokémon made her way to Fenix Town, wanting to get there early before anyone woke up. There was someone she had to find, and she was pretty certain she would find that Pokémon somewhere in this town. However, she was rather tired, and she hadn't gotten much sleep in the last few days. Since no one was awake yet, she figured it was probably best if she got some rest and begin looking for the Pokémon she was looking for later in the day when everyone was awake. Then she would have to try to figure out what exactly to do about the current situation.

She crawled into some bushes, figuring they would hide her from view so that no one would notice her and disturb her sleep. She had a lot to think about, but it could wait until she had gotten some rest.

* * *

Sera smiled as she polished the bronze colored top of the rescue badge with her paw, before putting it onto the bigger treasure bag they had traded in the old one for. She was feeling pretty confident, and couldn't wait to get another mission done. After eating breakfast with her family, she said good-bye and promised to be back in time for dinner, before heading out to find her teammates.

"Sera!" Chiaki's voice called out, and Sera smiled as she saw him and Blitz just ahead.

"Hey guys!" she responded, excitedly running up to them. "So, should we head straight to the HQ and find ourselves a mission? I'm ready for _anything_!"

"Actually, Blitz and I had a little talk, and we thought that maybe we should all head over to the dojo to train instead of going on a mission today!" Chiaki said in his usual cheerful voice.

"Huh?" Sera responded.

"Well, I wanted to learn some new attacks, so I asked Blitz if I might be able to learn some new things by training at the dojo," Chiaki explained. "And Blitz thought it was a good idea, and suggested that we _all_ go!"

"Yeah, since we're a bronze rank team now, I figured it might be a good idea to train, you know, so we could be better prepared for tougher missions…" Blitz said, smiling sheepishly while rubbing his forelegs together. "I hope you don't mind."

"Oh! Of course I don't mind!" Sera responded, wagging her tail. "You're absolutely right; we should totally go do that!"

And so, the three Pokémon began quickly moving over to the dojo. Chiaki was getting really excited about seeing the dojo from the inside, and was curious as to what kind of training they could get there.

* * *

The rescue team entered the building, where they were greeted by a large bipedal dark blue beetle with a big horn. The Heracross smiled as he saw Blitz.

"Hey, Blitz! Good to see you!" Hercules said. "How are you today?"

"Oh, I'm fine," Blitz responded, seeming a bit relaxed than usual. "Our team is doing pretty well."

"That's good," Hercules responded, noticing Chiaki. "I see you have a new teammate as well?"

"Yeah, this is Chiaki," Blitz explained. "He joined our team a couple of days ago."

"Ah, I see," Hercules responded. "Nice to meet you, kid."

"It's nice to meet you too!" Chiaki replied, excitedly shaking one of Hercules' hands.

"Wow, you seem to have a lot of energy, don't you?" Hercules responded, before noticing the color of the rescue team badge on the treasure bag Sera was carrying. "Oh, I see you've gotten the Bronze rank! Congratulations!"

"Thanks!" Sera responded, happily wagging her tail. "We reached Bronze rank just yesterday, so we thought we should train so we can handle tougher missions and stuff!"

"Say no more," Hercules responded, gesturing for the three of them to follow him down some stairs. "This way."

The rescue team followed Hercules down the stone stairs, leading them to a large underground complex. There were multiple training exercises and obstacle courses set up within for the Pokémon who came there to train, focusing on different things that were important for rescue teams to be able to do. There were also several other Pokémon working at the dojo as Hercules' assistants, helping the Pokémon to train and watching over some of the training exercises.

"Cool…" Chiaki commented, looking around at the underground training facility.

"I know, right?" Blitz responded.

"So, where would you like to start?" Hercules asked.

"Huh? Oh, I'd like to learn how to use some more attacks, please!" Chiaki said. "Just using Pound all the time gets kind of boring."

"Ah, I see," Hercules replied. "I think Lotus can help you with that."

Hercules gestured for a small blue humanoid Pokémon with a white onion shaped head to come over to them, the Meditite quickly floating over to them.

"The Meditite species happen to be able to learn several attacks that Mienfoo can also learn, so she can probably help you figure out the technique for a few of your moves," Hercules explained.

"Neat," Chiaki commented, smiling at Lotus. "So, you'll teach me some moves?"

"Yes," Lotus responded. "So, let's just get started right away, shall we?"

"Sure!" Chiaki replied, following the Meditite to another part of the training facility.

"So, what should we do?" Sera asked.

"I guess it couldn't hurt for us to learn some new moves either," Blitz suggested. "I think I've finally grown strong enough to be able to properly learn the technique for Spark, so I'd like to work on that."

"Ah, well, we should do that, then," Hercules responded, before turning to Sera. "Which attacks do you know?"

"Oh! Well, I know Tackle, Tail Whip, Helping Hand and Sand Attack!" Sera responded. "The basic Eevee stuff, even if I never seem to actually hit anything with that last one, though."

"I see," Hercules responded. "Perhaps you should work on improving your technique for Sand Attack, then."

"Isn't it just kicking sand in someone's face?" Sera asked, tilting her head in confusion. "How can that _possibly_ require much?"

"Even simple attacks can have their techniques modified to make them more effective and work better depending on the situation," Hercules explained. "Sometimes, one has to be creative and think of new ways to use one's attacks."

"Oh, so it's one of those thinking outside the box things?" Sera asked.

"Yeah, pretty much," Hercules responded. "I think Riley might be able to teach you something there."

Hercules gestured to a small blue furred bipedal jackal Pokémon that was currently talking to a small round owl like Pokémon that was keeping track of how much time it took the Pokémon training there to get through certain obstacle courses. The Riolu seemed to be pretty amazed by how well the owl was able to keep track of time like that, even though he knew the Hoothoot species was known for their great sense of time.

"Are you sure?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly. "Riolu can't learn Sand Attack, can they?"

"No, technically they can't," Hercules responded. "But that doesn't mean they can't help you improve on your Sand Attack technique."

"If you say so," Sera replied, walking over to the Riolu.

"Well, we should get started on your training as well," Hercules said to Blitz. "I think I know just the right training exercise for you to practice your Spark attack. So, just come with me."

* * *

Hercules lead Blitz over to what appeared to be a small running course with a small wooden target set up in the center. Near the start line was a chubby yellow Pokémon that seemed to be the one currently in charge of the course. The Makuhita seemed to be adjusting what appeared to be strange knot-like thing at the top of his head, when he noticed Hercules coming over.

"Oh, hey Hercules," the Makuhita said. "Are you taking over here for now?"

"Might as well," Hercules responded, with a friendly smile. "If you want to take a short break, feel free to do so."

"Thanks, Hercules," the Makuhita responded, smiling back.

While the Makuhita walked away to go take a short break from work, Hercules decided to go over the course with Blitz.

"So, as you can see, it's not really a difficult course," Hercules explained. "Some twists and turns, and a target at the end which you'll have to hit with Spark."

"I see," Blitz responded. "So, is there anything in particular I need to do to get the technique just right?"

"It doesn't have to be perfect, but for the best result there are indeed some things you should keep in mind," Hercules responded.

"Like what?" Blitz asked.

"Well, I think, for now at least, that you need to get the timing right on when you begin charging up the electricity before you tackle the opponent," Hercules explained. "You need to charge up the electricity while running towards the target, but try not to begin too soon or you might use up your energy faster, or too late and not charge up enough electricity to make the attack as effective as possible."

"Oh, I see," Blitz commented, while looking over at the course and trying to get a basic idea of how he'd have to go through it.

"Considering how your species builds up electricity through extending and contracting your muscles, I don't know if it would really be that much of a problem for you," Hercules commented. "But keep it in mind for now anyways."

"Okay," Blitz said, nodding his head.

"And when you get stronger, you'll be able to build up more electricity faster and keep the charge for longer," Hercules said, smiling at Blitz. "So, naturally it gets easier the stronger you get."

"Right," Blitz responded. "But even the strongest Pokémon aren't invincible, so you can't underestimate your opponent even if you do have the advantage."

"That's true," Hercules replied. "And it's good to see that you've been paying attention to what I have taught you in our previous training sessions."

Hercules called over a Hoothoot to assist as a living stopwatch for Blitz when he would make his way through the training course. The brown owl Pokémon flew over, before landing next to them, quickly hopping from one leg to the other.

"Well, let's get to it," Hercules said. "Begin on the Hoothoot's signal."

Blitz moved over to the start line, waiting for the Hoothoot to give the signal to start. The owl Pokémon continued tilting its head and rhythmically hopping from one leg to the other, before giving Blitz the signal to start running. Blitz quickly began making his way through the training course, slowly beginning to build up electricity as he reached the halfway point and increasing the charge as he kept getting closer to the target. He hit the wooden target with an electrified tackle, and heard the Hoothoot hooting to signaling for him to stop.

"How'd I do?" Blitz asked.

"Hmm… Not bad," Hercules said. "But, I know you can do even better. Want to give it another go?"

"Sure," Blitz responded, moving back to the start line and waiting for the Hoothoot's start signal again.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lotus was trying to teach Chiaki how to use Meditate, which was proving somewhat difficult as the young Mienfoo wouldn't stay still. Chiaki kept looking around at all the other obstacle courses and training exercises around them, curiously trying to get a closer look, only for Lotus to stop him and try to get him to sit down and meditate with her.

"Wow, look at all those Pokémon running around!" Chiaki said, pointing to one of the obstacle courses. "It looks like so much fun! Can we go train over there?"

"Right now, we are trying to teach you how to use a move known as Meditate," Lotus responded. "It will temporarily increase physical attack power slightly."

"Do we _have_ to sit still, though?" Chiaki asked. "I want to run around!"

"It's not the time for that," Lotus responded. "Now, sit down, and do what I do."

"Oh, okay!" Chiaki responded, sitting down and assuming the same position as the Meditite. "Can we go run around after this?"

"You sure have a lot of energy, don't you?" Lotus commented dryly.

"Uh-huh!" Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

"Well, that's… cute, but right now focus on learning this new move, okay?" Lotus asked.

"You think I'm cute?" Chiaki asked, with his usual cheerful smile.

Lotus sighed and hit the palm of her hand against her forehead. It seemed like this could possibly take a while.

* * *

Sera looked at the sand pit in front of her, waiting for Riley the Riolu to tell her to begin. The small blue jackal-like Pokémon walked to the center of the sand pit, feeling the sand between his dark gray furred toes.

"Okay, show me what you've got," Riley said, assuming a battle position.

"Um… Okay…" Sera responded, moving onto the sand and getting into battle position as well. "Here I go!"

Sera attempted to kick some sand into Riley's face with her hind legs, but the sand failed to hit its target.

"Hmm… Not bad for a beginner, I suppose," Riley commented. "But, you'll have to do better than that."

"Isn't that why we're doing this, so I can do better?" Sera asked.

"Of course," Riley responded, smirking. "First of all, you need to use more force if you're going to kick the sand that way."

"Okay, anything else?" Sera asked.

"Well, there is something that is probably more important than that," Riley responded.

"Oh? And what's that?" Sera asked.

Without warning, Riley suddenly kicked some sand into Sera's face.

" _Hey_!" Sera exclaimed, while trying to get some of the sand out of her fur.

"The element of surprise," Riley commented, smirking.

"Very funny," Sera responded, wiping some sand off her face. "What else can you do? I was kind of expecting something… a bit more impressive, maybe?"

"Oh, well in that case…" Riley said, pressing the palms of his paws together and concentrating. A blue aura began emanating from his body, and soon started lifting some of the sand up into the air. A small whirlwind of sand began to take form, and soon began moving in Sera's direction.

"Uh-oh," Sera said, as she realized what was going to happen next. She managed to take a breath and close her eyes, just before the sand came crashing down on her, leaving only her ears sticking out from under a small pile of sand.

"Was that impressive enough for you?" Riley asked, while Sera just gave the Riolu an annoyed look from inside the pile of sand.

* * *

Blitz rushed at the target yet again, blue sparks of electricity rippling through his fur as he charged at the wooden target. He rammed into the target again, while Hercules and the Hoothoot looked on. After the Hoothoot gave the signal to stop, Hercules checked with the owl Pokémon on how Blitz had done this time.

"Well done, Blitz," Hercules said to him. "You managed to do it a lot faster this time."

"Thanks," Blitz responded, smiling at Hercules while trying to catch his breath.

"Guess you could use a short break, huh?" Hercules asked, petting Blitz on the head.

"Yeah, sure," Blitz responded, sitting down on the floor.

The Hoothoot decided to take a break as well, hopping away to another part of the dojo. Looking around to make sure no one else was within earshot, Hercules decided to take this opportunity to have a little conversation with Blitz.

"So, good to hear that things have been going well lately," Hercules said.

"Yeah, Chiaki may still be inexperienced, but he seems to be picking up on things fast," Blitz commented. "He's a good addition to the team, and the fact that we've advanced to Bronze Rank is pretty neat too."

"I see," Hercules responded, again taking a quick look around to make sure no one else was listening, since he knew Blitz didn't feel comfortable talking to anyone but him about this. "Have you received any news from Lightning Plateau recently?"

"Huh?" Blitz responded. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious," Hercules replied.

"Oh, well… No, I haven't received any letters from home recently," Blitz responded. "I'm guessing that means nothing out of the ordinary has happened recently."

"Ah, I see," Hercules replied.

"So, I guess my mother is _still_ waiting for my father to come home, while embarrassing Lita with her antics as usual…" Blitz commented.

Hercules nodded, to let Blitz know he was listening. Hercules knew that Blitz looked up to him, and so felt the need to be supportive and a good role model to the Shinx. Blitz would often come to the dojo, but sometimes would just be there to ask Hercules for advice and not really train. Blitz had had a pretty tough time after his father disappeared, and Hercules hoped he was doing a good enough job helping Blitz find the strength to stand on his own and trust his instincts.

"I think I'm ready to continue training," Blitz said, looking up at Hercules.

"Okay," Hercules said, getting another Hoothoot to come over to take the time. Blitz had been making progress fast, and Hercules was certain the young Shinx would probably have mastered the attack well enough by the end of the day.

* * *

Lotus smiled as she had finally gotten Chiaki to pay attention to her, and successfully taught the Mienfoo how to use his Meditate move. Since Chiaki had proven to be a pretty fast learned once he stopped being distracted by everything else, Lotus decided she could try to teach him another attack he would probably find useful.

"Okay, you seem to have gotten Meditate down, so now I'll teach you another attack," Lotus said.

"Do I get to run around?" Chiaki asked excitedly.

"… No," Lotus responded. "While this move will require some movement, it mostly relies on sharp senses."

"Oh," Chiaki said. "What is it?"

"Detect," Lotus responded. "It will allow you to foresee your opponents next move, so may quickly move out of the way to avoid being hit."

"Oh," Chiaki replied, tilting his head slightly. "But why can't I just avoid attacks by running around?"

Lotus hit the palm of her hand against her forehead once again. Hopefully _this_ time it would be easier to get the Mienfoo to stop getting distracted and pay attention.

* * *

Sera was getting increasingly annoyed as each of her attempts to take the Riolu by surprised failed, and only got the sand thrown back at her.

"Sand Attack has officially become a lot more complicated than it has any right to be." Sera muttered to herself, while kicking the sand with her paw.

"So, have you at least learned something about the importance of the element of surprise?" Riley asked.

Sera looked up at him, before smirking and shaking the sand out of her fur so that it got all over Riley, finally succeeding in catching him off guard. Sera smirked and felt pretty satisfied with this.

"… I'll take that as a yes," Riley commented, while trying to wipe some sand off his face.

* * *

Hercules led Blitz over to another section of the dojo, where a blue otter-like Pokémon waited. The Dewott held up its two shells and assumed a battle pose.

"Now I'd like you to fight this Dewott here in a short practice battle," Hercules explained. "The purpose is to test your Spark attack in battle."

"Um… Okay," Blitz responded, getting into a battle position himself.

"You get to make the first move, so begin when you're ready," Hercules said.

Blitz still had plenty of energy left even after all the training he'd already done today, and blue sparks began rippling through his fur as he built up his electricity for the attack. Blitz then began charging at the Dewott, who swiftly knocked Blitz aside with his shells, but not without taking some damage from the electricity in the process. Blitz quickly got back up, and observed his opponent for a moment.

As far as Blitz could tell, this Dewott was stronger than him, but probably not as strong as Frederick was. Based on how the Dewott knocked him aside suggested that the otter Pokémon didn't know any good methods of blocking an electric attack, so it wouldn't be too difficult of a battle.

Blitz used Flash to make his body glow brightly enough to blind the Dewott for a moment, long enough for him to deliver an electrified tackle to it and knock it down.

"Well done," Hercules commented, smiling at Blitz. "I think you can continue working on improving the technique without my help from here."

"Thanks," Blitz responded, smiling back at the Heracross.

* * *

Lotus eventually got Chiaki to listen to her again, so she could teach him how to use Detect. He did listen to each of Lotus' instructions, even if he did interrupt her a few times to ask her some questions. She did her best to answer the questions, and eventually managed to explain all Chiaki needed to know about Detect.

Although, even though Chiaki did listen to and say he that he did understand everything, Lotus still wanted to make sure he would be able to use the attack.

"Okay, if you really understood everything, then I guess you won't mind using Detect right now to dodge one of my attacks?" Lotus asked, smirking slightly.

"Sounds like fun!" Chiaki said, with a cheerful smile.

"All right, then," Lotus responded. "I shall unleash my Hidden Power!"

Lotus calmly closed her eyes and pressed the palms of her hands together, while Chiaki tried to focus on foreseeing Lotus' attack as instructed. Lotus' body began shining with a green glow as she called upon the Hidden Power inside her, and soon orbs of green light imbued with grass type energy floated in circles around Lotus. Opening her eyes, Lotus sent the green orbs flying at Chiaki.

Chiaki's eyes glowed for a moment, before the Mienfoo jumped out of the way so that the attack missed him and only hit the floor.

"Excellent," Lotus said with a smile.

"Yay! I did it!" Chiaki said, cheerfully jumping up and down. "Thank you for teaching me those two moves, Lotus!"

"You're welcome," Lotus responded, smiling at the Mienfoo. "There's probably more I can teach you as well, if you're interested in training with me again sometime."

"Really?" Chiaki asked, seeming very excited at this offer. "There's more you can teach me?"

"Yes," Lotus responded. "However, promise me that if you do come back for more training, that you will pay attention right from the start, okay?"

"I promise!" Chiaki said, eagerly shaking Lotus' hand. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Lotus responded, smiling somewhat awkwardly as Chiaki continued shaking her hand. "... You can let go of my hand now."

* * *

Somehow, Sera's training session with Riley eventually degenerated into just playing around in the sand. At least the two of them seemed to have a lot of fun while running around and tackling each other into the sand.

* * *

As the day was nearing its end, Hercules congratulated Blitz, Chiaki and Sera on how well they did during their training sessions. The three thanked him and his assistants for their help, and said good-bye before heading back outside. The sun was starting to go down in the distance.

"So, now that we've got some new moves, I guess we're ready for our first mission as a Bronze rank team tomorrow?" Sera said, smiling confidently.

"Uh-huh!" Chiaki said, cheerfully nodding his head.

"I guess so," Blitz responded, before he suddenly noticed another Pokémon standing a short distance away, curiously looking their way. "Hey, who's that?"

Sera and Chiaki looked over at the other Pokémon in confusion; it was a small green humanoid Pokémon with a big head. It had two small green oval eyes and three differently colored fingers on each of its hands, one green, one yellow and one red. The Elgyem just curiously looked at the three Pokémon, not saying or doing anything. For some reason, it seemed particularly interested in Chiaki, staring at him for several seconds.

Chiaki wasn't sure why, but the way the little green Pokémon was looking at him suddenly made him feel... strange. Before Chiaki had a chance to say anything to it, though, the Elgyem turned around and floated away, taking one last look over its shoulder at Chiaki before leaving.

"… That was weird," Sera said.

"I don't think I've ever seen her around town before," Blitz commented. "At least I _think_ it might be a "her"."

"How can you tell?" Sera asked, tilting her head.

"He's right, she's female…" Chiaki somewhat distractedly responded, nodding his head slightly.

"Are you okay, Chiaki?" Sera asked, noting that the Mienfoo seemed a bit zoned out.

"I… don't know," Chiaki replied, rubbing his head with a paw.

"Maybe you're just tired from all the training you did today," Sera said, patting the Mienfoo on the back with her paw.

"Yeah, let's go home and get some rest," Blitz said.

"Okay…" Chiaki responded, still seeming a bit confused.

After the usual good-byes and "see you tomorrows", Sera went home to her family, while Blitz and Chiaki headed back to their house. As they walked home, Chiaki couldn't get that Elgyem off his mind. Why was she looking at him like that earlier, and why did he feel so strange when she did it? Was there some sort of connection between them?

* * *

**End of Chapter 5**


	6. Have you and I met before?

* * *

It was another bright and sunny day in Fenix Town, and the rescue teams were already busy making their preparations for their missions today. Wade the Lombre had already sold a lot of items today, and there were still plenty of rescue teams wanting to buy something from him. Too bad he just didn't have enough items for everyone.

"Sorry ladies, but I'm all out of Reviver Seeds," Wade said apologetically to a green snake like Pokémon with leaves on her backside and a chinchilla like Pokémon with light gray fur.

"Oh, that's too bad," the Servine responded, while her Minccino teammate used her fluffy tail to clean some dust off the leaves on her back.

"I'll try to get more," Wade said. "So, come back tomorrow, I might have some in stock then. No promises, though!"

"Okay, we'll stop by again tomorrow," the Servine said, before turning her attention to Vic. "By the way; we need something from you too."

"Eh?" Vic responded, looking up from polishing an orb. "Oh, what do you need?"

"Well, we're going on a rescue mission today, and we'd like some orbs that can change the weather," the Servine said. "Some of the Pokémon in the dungeon we're headed to can whip up some pretty nasty sandstorms, so we'd like something to counter that."

"Ah, I see," Vic responded. "Lucky for you, I happen to have several Sunny and Rainy Orbs in stock right now."

"Excellent, we'll take a few of each," the Servine replied.

Sera and her teammates had overheard the conversation between the shopkeepers and the Servine and Minccino duo. Sera seemed a bit disappointed to hear that the Reviver Seeds were already sold out, but Chiaki assured her they would probably do just fine with what items they did currently have. The three decided to go check on some other things before heading to the rescue team HQ, when Chiaki suddenly noticed a certain green Pokémon and stopped in his tracks.

"Chiaki, what is it?" Blitz asked. "Is something wrong?"

"It's her again!" Chiaki said, pointing to the Elgyem that they had met outside the dojo yesterday. The green little Pokémon seemed to be looking in Chiaki's direction, before floating away.

"Strange," Blitz commented. "Why does she seem so interested in Chiaki?"

"Maybe she has a crush on him?" Sera said teasingly, but Chiaki didn't seem to notice.

"I don't know…" Chiaki responded. "I have a strange feeling about this… I felt this way when she was looking at me yesterday too…"

"Maybe it has something to do with your memory loss?" Sera suggested. "I hear Elgyem can use their powers to mess with the memories of others!"

"Yikes!" Blitz responded. "Y-You really think that Elgyem might've had something to do with Chiaki's memory loss?"

"No, I don't think she would do that…" Chiaki replied, seeming to be in deep thought. "There's something else, something I can't quite place a paw on…"

"Wow, this is the first time I've seen you be all serious like this!" Sera said. "It's kind of weird, actually."

"So… Was there anything we needed to do before heading to the rescue team HQ?" Blitz asked.

"Hmm… I forgot," Sera responded. "But hey, whatever it was, I guess there's no reason we can't do it _after_ stopping by the HQ!"

The three of them began heading over to the rescue team HQ, but as he followed shortly behind his teammates, Chiaki just couldn't stop thinking about that Elgyem. The way she looked at him with those small green eyes, before just leaving like that. What did it mean? What was it about the Elgyem that made him feel so strange? He closed his eyes halfway, staring down at the ground as he followed Blitz and Sera, still deep in thought about the Elgyem.

"Elina…" Chiaki muttered under his breath, before suddenly stopping again.

"Huh?" Sera said, before she and Blitz turned to see Chiaki. "What was that?"

"Elina…?" Chiaki said again, having some sort of strange epiphany. "That's her name! That Elgyem's name is Elina!"

"Wait, what?" Sera responded. "How do you know that? She never told us her name."

"I don't know…" Chiaki replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "It sort of just came to me…"

"Okay, this just keeps getting weirder," Sera said. "Blitz, do you have any idea what's going on?"

"Well… Maybe Chiaki knew her before he lost his memory?" Blitz suggested, while rubbing the rings on his forelegs together.

" _Whoa_ , you really think so?" Chiaki asked, staring wide-eyed at Blitz.

"I don't know, but it might be possible," Blitz responded. "And perhaps she had left such a strong impression, that your subconscious still somehow remembered her?"

"Whoa, maybe you're right!" Chiaki replied. "I mean, it's not like I didn't exist or something before I lost my memory, so I guess I must've known _some_ other Pokémon before."

Chiaki seemed to be getting pretty excited at this possibility, and seemed to be back to his usual energetic self.

"Maybe I _did_ know her! And if I did, maybe she might be able to give me some answers?" Chiaki said, grinning. His eyes seemed to be sparkling with excitement. "And maybe she can help me find out who I really am?"

"Maybe," Sera responded, shrugging slightly. "Well, let's get to the HQ and find ourselves a mission!"

* * *

Sera excitedly looked over the rescue team board, trying to decide on what mission they would take today. There still seemed to be plenty of missions available for rescue teams at around Bronze rank level.

"So, what will be our first mission as a Bronze rank team?" Sera cheerfully asked as she looked over the board. "Help some Bidoof gather wood to repair their dam? Or head into the Thorny Hollow to save this Drifloon? Or how about searching for a Dragon Scale for some Seadra that wants to evolve?"

"That last one looks a bit difficult," Blitz commented.

"Hmm, I guess that one does look a bit tricky," Sera responded, before looking over at Chiaki, who didn't really seem to be paying attention. "What do you think, Chiaki?"

"Huh?" Chiaki replied. "Oh, um… Actually, can you do this mission without me today?"

"What? You don't want to come along?" Sera asked.

"I kind of need to speak to Elina," Chiaki responded, wanting to get some answers now that he had the oppurtunity. "So, you two can handle this on your own, right?"

"Well, I suppose that's okay," Blitz replied. "I mean, if you want to know more about yourself, I guess we should let you do that."

"Thanks!" Chiaki said, and ran off. "I'll see you guys later!"

"… So, looks like we're on our own today," Sera said, looking back up at the board. "So, Blitz? Did you have any opinions on which of these other two missions here we should take?"

* * *

Chiaki quickly ran back into the main part of the town, his excitement building as he thought about the possibility of Elina being able to answer some of his questions. It was strange, until now he hadn't cared all that much for learning his true identity, but right at this moment it was the only thing he could really think about. That and barely avoiding running into annoyed Pokémon yelling at him to watch where he's going.

Perhaps it would've been wise to slow down, at least that way it might be easier to avoid crashing into someone. However, Chiaki ended up running into someone before this even occurred to him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry…" Chiaki said as he dusted himself off, only to realize the Pokémon he'd just crashed into was none other than Elina! "Oh, it's you!"

The Elgyem got back up, looking up at Chiaki while shyly backing away from the somewhat hyper Mienfoo.

"Hey, I need to talk to you!" Chiaki said, excitedly approaching the Elgyem, who kept moving backwards to keep some distance between herself and the Mienfoo. "You see, I've lost my memories, and I was wondering if you might have…"

The Elgyem suddenly turned around and began quickly floating away from Chiaki, much to the Mienfoo's confusion.

"Wait, where are you going?" Chiaki asked. "You didn't even let me finish my question! Come back!"

The Elgyem glanced over her shoulder at the Mienfoo, but continued moving further away from him.

"Wait up!" Chiaki shouted, and began running after the Elgyem. "I just want to talk!"

The Elgyem hadn't yet figured out how to deal with the situation, and just wanted to avoid Chiaki until she could think of something. However, she quickly realized that getting away from Chiaki wouldn't be easy, as he seemed pretty determined to get some answers.

* * *

Mirage and her two teammates had just finished depositing the money they had earned from their missions the previous day into the bank, and were now having a talk amongst themselves, trying to decide on what they would do today.

"I hope all the highest reward missions haven't been taken yet," Mirage commented.

"The mushroom hopes we don't have to deal with angry fire types this time," Cordyceps commented, before briefly shooting a glance at their Magmar teammate.

"Hey! Why are you looking at me like that!?" the fire duck shouted, waving a clenched fist at her Parasect teammate.

"Well, no offense, Megara, but you _are_ kind of hot headed at times," Mirage commented.

Before Megara had a chance to respond to Mirage, a certain Elgyem suddenly floated right over their heads, seeming to be in a bit of a hurry, followed by a certain Mienfoo running after it, jumping off the mushroom on Cordyceps back in an attempt to catch up to her. Being suddenly jumped on like that caused the mushroom to involuntarily release a cloud of spores, causing Mirage and Megara to break into a coughing fit.

"Hey, come back!" Cordyceps said loudly, angrily shaking one of his orange claws. "The mushroom is _not_ a springboard!"

However, Chiaki was already out of the Parasect's earshot, and continued chasing after Elina, hoping to get her to stop and listen to him. They continued running, suddenly coming across a line of Pokémon delivering wares to the café. Elina just floated right over them, while Chiaki attempted to follow by jumping over them. However, despite his best effort, one of his legs happened to hit the top of a bottle of milk on top of several other bottles being carried by a Carnivine.

The green hovering venus flytrap-like Pokémon attempted to grab the falling bottle with a vine, but failed and it shattered against the ground.

"Oh, no!" the Carnivine exclaimed as he looked down at the broken glass bottle and the small puddle of milk.

"Sorry!" Chiaki shouted back to the Carnivine as he continued his pursuit of Elina.

The Carnivine continued to stare at the small puddle for a moment, to which the Pokémon behind him in the line, a muscular humanoid Pokémon with purple skin, suddenly spoke up.

"Dude, just hurry up and get the rest of the bottles safely inside," the Machoke said. "It was just one bottle, so don't cry over spilled milk."

"You just _had_ to say it, didn't you?" a brown bear Pokémon behind the Machoke in the line asked.

"Well, I couldn't just pass up the opportunity, could I?" the Machoke said, with a sheepish smile.

"Yes, yes you could've," the Ursaring responded.

While the Pokémon continued delivering their wares, Chiaki had in the meantime nearly caught up to Elina. He made another high jump into the air, and managed to grab the floating Elgyem.

"I've got you!" Chiaki said as he landed on his feet, while Elina tried to wriggle out of his grip as he pulled her down with him. "Hey, relax; there's just something I'd like to know."

However, Elina suddenly vanished in a burst of light, having teleported herself out of Chiaki's arms, much to the Mienfoo's confusion.

"Hey, where did you go?" Chiaki asked, looking around for her. "Come back!"

* * *

Chiaki went back to the main part of Fenix Town, and soon caught up with the little green alien-like Pokémon. The chase began once again, and Chiaki kept getting close to catching her. However, the alien decided to try a different strategy this time, by teleporting _Chiaki_ away.

"Hey!" Chiaki shouted, as he suddenly found himself reappearing on a shelf containing the weather changing orbs Vic was selling.

"Huh?" Vic said upon hearing Chiaki's voice, looking up at the shelf with the startled Mienfoo on it. "How'd you get up there?"

Chiaki quickly jumped down from the shelf so he could follow Elina before she got too far away, accidentally knocking over and activating a Rainy Orb in the process. Chiaki ran off as a rain cloud appeared above the shop and it began raining on the two shopkeepers.

"Hey!" Vic shouted. "Get back here!"

"Relax, it's just a little rain," Wade responded. "I don't think it'll damage the merchandise."

Vic gave the Lombre an annoyed look.

" _Relax_? When that weasel just used up one of my orbs without paying for it? I don't think so!" Vic said, jumping over the counter. "You can handle the shop on your own for a few minutes, right?"

"Vic, you can't just…" before Wade could even finish the sentence, the Nuzleaf had already run off in pursuit of Chiaki. "… Well, tomorrow's newspaper headlines should be interesting."

* * *

Chiaki continued running after Elina, before a certain Zoroark and her two teammates spotted him.

"You!" Cordyceps said, suddenly moving into Chiaki's path, forcing him to stop in his tracks. "The mushroom _demands_ an apology!"

"Why are you running around like a crazed Tauros, anyways?" Mirage asked, grabbing the Mienfoo by the back of his neck and lifting him up.

"Um… I…" Chiaki wasn't entirely sure how to explain the situation, and looked around to realize he'd lost track of Elina, who had probably taken the opportunity to teleport herself away. Before he had time to think of anything else, he suddenly heard another voice getting closer.

"There you are!" Vic shouted, as he ran towards them. The Nuzleaf jumped at and attempted to grab the Mienfoo, but ended up missing and accidentally landing on Mirage's face instead.

The Zoroark gave a startled yell before dropping Chiaki, and the Mienfoo ran off as fast as he could. Mirage managed to shake Vic off while her confused teammates watched on, and before she had the chance to ask Vic about what he was doing and why he wasn't at work, the Nuzleaf had already run off in pursuit of Chiaki, much to her annoyance.

"Okay, I don't know _what_ is going on here, but I am going to find out!" Mirage shouted, giving chase.

"You punish the shopkeeper; the mushroom will punish the weasel!" Cordyceps said, before joining his leader.

"Oh, boy…" Megara said, before chasing after her two teammates. "I bet we'll be reading something about this in tomorrow's newspaper..."

* * *

Over at the café, River was feeling a bit unnerved by a customer resembling a combination between a cactus and a scarecrow that had been standing at the counter for a while. He wasn't saying or doing anything, just standing there and staring. At least there wasn't a line of increasingly impatient Pokémon behind him or anything, but still.

"… Aren't you going to order anything?" she asked. The Cacturne just continued to stare.

"Hey, mom!" Azure shouted out, while standing on Frederick's head and looking out of a window. "You have got to see this!"

"What is it?" River asked, joining her daughter over at the window, while the Cacturne just continued to stare. "What is going on out there?"

"I'm not sure, but it's looking pretty crazy!" the Azurill commented excitedly, watching Chiaki being chased by Vic, who in turn was being chased by Mirage and her teammates.

"A rescue team member being chased by an angry shopkeeper, being chased by _another_ rescue team..." River said, watching the strange scene going on outside. "I'm guessing it all makes sense in context, _somehow._ "

"Do we have any popcorn?" Frederick asked, trying not to move around too much so that Azure wouldn't fall off his head. "I can't actually see what's going on out there, I just really want some popcorn."

* * *

Chiaki continued to run, even though he wasn't sure where to go, as he couldn't see Elina anywhere. Before he could resume his search, he probably had to figure out how to get away from the Pokémon chasing after him. But where would he go? Everything was suddenly so chaotic.

"I hope Blitz and Sera have had better luck than me today…" Chiaki muttered to himself, before suddenly tripping on a rock and falling. "Ah!"

Unbeknownst to Chiaki, Elina was currently sitting on the roof of the rescue team HQ building, watching him. She wasn't entirely sure about what to do. She looked down to see that Vic, Mirage, Cordyceps and Megara were getting close to reaching the Mienfoo on the ground as he tried to get back up. Elina wasn't really intending to intervene, but she also knew that this mess was sort of her fault…

In only a matter of seconds, the little green Pokémon teleported down from the roof, grabbed the Mienfoo in a tight embrace, and teleported away with him before the four Pokémon could get to him, much to their confusion.

"Hey! Where'd he go?" Vic said, looking around.

"This displeases the mushroom!" Cordyceps commented.

"Can somebody _just explain_ what the heck is going on!?" Mirage asked, rubbing her head. "I'm _so_ confused!"

* * *

Elina and Chiaki reappeared in a quiet area outside of Fenix Town, where no one was likely to disturb them. Elina felt she needed some rest after using so much of her energy, and soon realized she was still embracing Chiaki, and before she knew it, the Mienfoo had wrapped his arms around her.

"Thanks, Elina," he said as he hugged her. "I owe you one."

He pulled back slightly from the hug, to see that the Elgyem was staring at him in confusion. Elina didn't seem to understand how the Mienfoo knew her name, and tried to express that by pointing to herself with one hand quizzically.

"How I know your name?" Chiaki asked. "It sort of just came to me, which is why I wanted to know if perhaps we knew each other, or something."

Elina blinked a few times, before tilting her head slightly. Chiaki seemed a bit confused at her reaction.

"Yes, that is what I wanted to ask," he said. "What did you think I was trying to say?"

The Elgyem awkwardly glanced at the ground for a moment, before briefly touching Chiaki's head with her hand. Chiaki had to think for a moment before he realized what the Elgyem was trying to communicate to him.

"Oh! No, I wasn't accusing you of anything!" Chiaki quickly clarified. "I didn't think you had _anything_ to do with my memory loss!"

Elina blinked, before pointing to herself again and shaking her head, before looking up at Chiaki quizzically again.

"Of course I didn't," Chiaki said, holding Elina's hands and gazing into her eyes. "You don't seem like the kind of Pokémon that would do such a thing at all!"

Elina felt flattered that Chiaki would think of highly of her, even though he didn't actually know anything about her. Elina and Chiaki continued to gaze into each other's eyes for a few moments, before Chiaki began talking again.

"So, can you give me any answers?" Chiaki asked. "Have you and I met before?"

Elina looked away for a moment, unsure how to respond to this. Chiaki sighed, and redirected her gaze back to him.

"Although… I guess it might be a little difficult for you to tell me anything about that," Chiaki said. "I mean, I can make guesses about some of your questions and stuff, but this would be a little different, and I'm guessing you won't be able to really explain this very well this way, am I right?"

Elina nodded her head slightly, gazing up at the slightly disappointed Mienfoo.

"I thought so…" he replied, before looking into her eyes again. "But, you _do_ know me, right? You know who I really am?"

Elina thought about it for a moment, before nodding her head again.

"Well, then I guess for now, that's good enough for me," Chiaki said, smiling and giving the Elgyem another hug. "It's good to meet a friend I had from before I lost my memory."

Elina blinked for a moment, before returning the hug.

"Don't worry, even if I don't remember you, we're still friends," Chiaki said, patting the Elgyem on the back.

The two stayed that way for a moment, before pulling apart and wondering what to do next.

"… You think it's safe to go back to town, yet?"

* * *

Blitz and Sera eventually returned from a successful mission, and picked up their reward from the rescue team HQ. The two were now looking for Chiaki, so they could tell him all about it. Sera was pretty proud of her and Blitz's performance today.

"We sure did great today!" Sera said, happily wagging her tail. "Well, except when I got stuck in the Ariados web... twice. Thanks for getting me out of that, by the way."

"You're welcome," Blitz responded. "At least that's something I _can_ use my Fire and Ice Fang attacks for, even if I don't use them in battle."

"Yeah," Sera replied. "I bet Chiaki would've liked to see that."

"Speaking of Chiaki, do you see him anywhere?" Blitz asked.

"Hmm… No," Sera replied, looking around. "You'd think he would've shown up by now..."

"I'm over here!" Chiaki called, waving from behind his hiding spot in some bushes.

"Chiaki?" Sera said as she walked up to him. "Why are you hiding in a bush?"

"Is everything okay?" Blitz asked.

"Well, yeah," Chiaki responded, crawling out from the bushes. "Except, I have a couple of Pokémon I need to apologize to, and you guys might have to help me pay Vic for an orb I accidentally used up."

"… Chiaki, what exactly have you been doing all day?" Blitz asked, tilting his head slightly.

"It's a long story," Chiaki replied, joining his two teammates as they were walking back to the main part of town. "You'll probably be reading something about it in tomorrow's newspaper."

As the three walked off, Elina secretly watched from a distance. She thought about how this whole mess could've been avoided if she only knew how to properly use her telepathy, so that she could've read Chiaki's mind and known what he wanted to ask her instead of jumping to conclusions. However, at the same time, she was also a bit relieved that she couldn't communicate directly that way yet, and so could keep the truth about Chiaki a secret for now.

She wasn't sure how Chiaki would react, when he eventually would learn the truth…

* * *

In a forest near a large tower called the Axis Tower, there were several Pokémon gathering, all looking rather concerned.

"From the looks of your faces… I'm guessing you couldn't find anything either?" a light purple weasel like Pokémon with long sleeve like fur on its arms asked the other Pokémon that had gathered.

"I'm afraid not," a blue bird with white cloud-like wings responded.

"We can't find them on our own!" a chandelier like Pokémon with purple flames said. "We have no choice but to inform everyone!"

"You're right," the weasel replied. "We need all the help we can get."

The Mienshao looked around at the gathered Pokémon, who nodded in agreement. They decided to inform the Pokémon of Fenix Town tomorrow.

* * *

**End of Chapter 6**


	7. Do you think we can make a difference?

* * *

It was already morning, and Blitz was waiting for Chiaki to wake up. He was trying to be patient, knowing that the Mienfoo had used a lot of energy running around after Elina yesterday, but he also knew that Sera might already be waiting for them to show up at this point. It was a bit of a dilemma for the young Shinx, since he didn't want to bother his sleeping teammate, yet also didn't want to keep Sera waiting. He thought about it for a moment, before deciding it was better to wake Chiaki up now.

After all, if they waited too long, the shops would be sold out of the best items and most of the missions might already have been taken. Besides, Chiaki would probably not be too bothered being woken up now anyways.

"Hey, Chiaki?" Blitz said, carefully nudging the Mienfoo with his paw. "Wake up!"

"Hmm?" Chiaki opened his eyes slightly.

"You've kind of overslept a little…" Blitz said, rubbing the rings on his forelegs together. "Let's hurry up and go meet with Sera, she's probably waiting for us."

"Oh, okay," the Mienfoo said, rubbing his eyes.

* * *

As Blitz and Chiaki entered the main part of the town, they were surprised to find that a large crowd of Pokémon was gathered in the town plaza.

"Huh? What's going on here?" Blitz asked, looking around. "It looks like every Pokémon in town is here…"

"Blitz, Chiaki! Over here!" Sera shouted, waving a paw at her teammates.

"Hi Sera!" Chiaki said, happily waving to her as he and Blitz approached.

"Do you know what's going on here?" Blitz asked.

"No, not really," Sera responded. "I think everyone is waiting for some kind of important news, or something."

"Oh?" Blitz asked. "What could it be?"

"Wow, Fenix Town sure has a lot of Pokémon…" Chiaki commented, looking around at the many Pokémon in the crowd, trying to see if he could see anyone he recognized.

"You!" a certain Parasect's voice called out. Cordyceps, Mirage and Megara walked over, Cordyceps angrily poking Chiaki in the chest with his orange claw as he spoke. "The mushroom is still waiting for an apology for yesterday!"

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that…" Chiaki sheepishly responded. "I guess I got a bit carried away…"

"The mushroom accepts your apology," Cordyceps replied. "Just don't let it happen again."

"You know, I still don't quite understand what yesterday was about," Mirage commented.

"Well, you see…" Chiaki was about to explain, when suddenly, a Mienshao stepped up to address the crowd of Pokémon.

"Hello, everyone," the Mienshao said, clearing his throat. "You're probably wondering why you're all gathered here."

There were a few murmurs from the crowd, the Pokémon were indeed wondering what was going on.

"Well… There's a very serious situation on hand here, and at this point, we need all the help we can get," the Mienshao explained.

"What is he talking about?" Megara asked.

"This doesn't sound good…" Blitz commented.

"I guess I should just go ahead and say it…" the Mienshao said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "The Axis Tower crystals have been stolen."

This statement seemed to be followed by a collective gasp from the crowd before the Pokémon began voicing their reactions to this unthinkable thing having happened.

"The crystals… were _stolen_?"

"It can't be!"

"How is that even possible!?"

"The mushroom is appalled!"

"This is horrible!"

"What kind of Pokémon would be _crazy_ enough to do such a thing!?"

"Everyone, calm down," the Mienshao said, motioning with his arms for them to quiet down.

The Pokémon continued to speak amongst themselves for a few more seconds, before stopping and letting the Mienshao continue his explanation.

"We're not quite sure _how_ the thief was able to steal the crystals," the Mienshao said. "It… did something that knocked all of us out, and when we regained consciousness, all eight crystals were gone!"

More gasps and worried mumbling from the crowd. Chiaki felt really confused since he had no idea what was so important about these crystals and why everyone was freaking out like this. He assumed it was probably something he would've known had it not been for his amnesia. He continued to look up at the Mienshao, who continued speaking to the crowd.

"We've tried to search for them on our own, but we haven't had any luck," the Mienshao explained. "That's why we need everyone's help now, to find the eight crystals and bring them back to Axis Tower!"

"Say no more," Sting buzzed from within the crowd, flying up so that other Pokémon could see him. "The rescue teams of Fenix Town will do everything they can to find those crystals and ensure they are brought back to their rightful place!"

"Yeah!" Mirage spoke up, raising a paw. "We'll definitely get those crystals back, and punish whoever thought it was okay to steal those things!"

More rescue teams joined in, shouting out how they would help search for and make sure the crystals were found as soon as possible. The Mienshao smiled at seeing how many rescue teams were promising to do their part to find the crystals.

"Thank you, everyone," the Mienshao said. "If we all work together, there's no doubt that the crystals will be found and safely returned to Axis Tower!"

The Pokémon in the crowd cheered, before the Mienshao and the other Axis Tower guards decided to take their leave, and let the Pokémon of Fenix Town return to their regular business, as well as begin the search for the missing crystals.

* * *

The Pokémon of Fenix Town returned to their regular business for the day, aside from the rescue teams beginning to attempt to plan out how they would search for the crystals. However, Chiaki still didn't understand what was going on.

"So… Why are these crystals so important?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Oh, right," Sera said, looking over at Chiaki. "You don't know anything about this due to your memory loss, right?"

"Yeah…" Chiaki responded, rubbing the back of his head. "I have a feeling I _should_ know this, though…"

"Well, its pretty common knowledge," Mirage said, walking over along with Megara and Cordyceps. "The eight crystals serve a _very_ important purpose."

"Yes," Sting buzzed, flying over to them along with his teammates, Melody and Frosty. "They help maintain the balance in this part of the world."

"Maintain the balance?" Chiaki inquired. "What balance?"

"Well, you see, there are many, many worlds aside from this one," Melody said. "And some believe that new worlds are always being created when certain things happen."

"Oh, yeah, the elder of this ice Pokémon village where I grew up once told me something about that," Frosty said. "She said that since so many universes exist, some of them were bound to be "incomplete" in some ways."

"Incomplete?" Chiaki said, tilting his head slightly.

"Well, incomplete isn't the right word, but…" Frosty said, stroking his icicle beard in thought.

"What he means is that in this world, the fabric of space has always been kind of… unstable," Megara said. "And in order to correct that, the legendary Pokémon created special artifacts around the world, to keep things stable!"

"What are legendary Pokémon?" Chiaki asked.

"They're powerful Pokémon that are responsible for watching over our world," Sera said, wagging her tail. "Some watch over time and space, others have been said to have created continents, and there are several legendaries said to watch over the sea…"

"Different Pokémon tend to pray to legendaries that they feel closest to their hearts," Blitz commented. "For example, back at my old home, the Luxray pride heard many tales of the legendary Pokémon Raikou, the legendary Pokémon of thunder."

"At the village where I lived, we all listened to stories about the legendary Articuno," Frosty said. "A majestic legendary ice bird that was said to appear to Pokémon lost in snowy mountains during blizzards."

"I used to live in a volcano," Megara spoke up. "For us at Mt. Caldera, it was Entei, a legendary Pokémon believed to embody the passion of magma."

"Cool…" Chiaki commented.

"It is said that Palkia, the legendary Pokémon in charge of the fabric of space created the crystals to keep space stable in this part of the world," Mirage said. "It also made the Axis Tower, to keep the crystals safe."

"Disciples of Palkia came to live in the tower, and keep the crystals safe," Sting buzzed in. "Many of the current guards are likely descended from the original ones."

"Okay… So, the crystals being taken away from the tower is a _really_ bad thing," Chiaki commented. "What exactly is going to happen?"

"We're not sure," Sting buzzed. "Normally, we only have to deal with minor distortions, in form of the constantly changing mystery dungeons, but who knows what will happen if the crystals are missing and the distortions start to get bigger…"

"Will we get more mystery dungeons, then?" Chiaki asked. "Or, will other places start behaving like a mystery dungeon?"

"Like Sting said, no one knows what might happen," Mirage responded. "For all we know, things from other worlds might start leaking into our world, or something crazy like that."

"Oh, I think Stella mentioned something about that," Chiaki said. "She said something about creatures not native to our world coming here?"

"Yeah, some Pokémon were brought into this world along with human visitors, and stayed behind when the humans were returned home, or something," Megara commented.

"The mushroom wonders how mushrooms in other worlds live their lives," Cordyceps wondered.

"So, I guess what we _do_ know is that _anything_ might happen if the distortions grow too big and we don't get those crystals back," Melody commented.

"And to be on the safe side, we need to get them back as soon as possible," Blitz said, while nervously rubbing his forelegs together.

"Yeah, we should probably get on that," Mirage said.

"So should we," Sting commented. "We'll talk to you later, kids."

And with that, Sting and Mirage went off along with their teammates to resume planning out the search for the eight missing crystals. The young rescue team was unsure what to do now.

"Are we going to help search for the crystals?" Chiaki asked.

"Well, we're a rescue team, so I'm guessing we should help," Sera responded.

"I doubt we'd really be able to do much help, with all those other more experienced rescue teams," Blitz commented. "Still, I suppose we should do whatever we can…"

"Where do we begin, though?" Chiaki asked.

"I have no idea," Sera responded.

"Me neither…" Blitz said, rubbing the rings on his forelegs together. "Maybe we should just find ourselves a mission to do for now? Pokémon still need our help, even if searching for the crystals must also be a priority."

"Good point," Sera replied. "Let's go find a mission!"

* * *

After stopping by the rescue team HQ and they picked up a mission put up by a Pokémon requesting someone to go into a river dungeon and retrieve an item. Said dungeon was known as the Tadpole River, named for the Poliwag and Tympole living in it. There were also other Pokémon living in it, but the two tadpole species were usually the most common sight within the dungeon.

"So, we need to go to the sixth floor, and retrieve a big apple for a Munchlax, right?" Sera asked. "That doesn't seem too difficult."

The rescue team began exploring the first floor, Blitz hoping that the water on the dungeon floor wouldn't give him any difficulty with his electricity. The three explored as usual, picking up items and fighting wilds while trying to find the stairs leading to the next floor. However, due to the current situation, the mood wasn't quite the same as usual.

Mystery dungeons were connected to distortions in space, and if the crystals weren't found, what would become of them? Chiaki couldn't help but worry about the mystery dungeons, and especially what would happen to the wild Pokémon living in them. Blitz and Sera were worried too. Not knowing what would happen, or what to do about it…

But as worrying as the situation was, they had to keep going on as usual. Like Blitz had said, the situation didn't change that Pokémon were still in need of help from rescue teams. Even if finding the crystals was important, they couldn't leave other missions alone.

"Do you think we can make a difference?" Chiaki asked. "I mean, wouldn't it be awesome if we could help find those missing crystals?"

"It certainly would," Sera responded. "If I could do something like that, then there's no way others wouldn't take me seriously."

"Still, there will be plenty of experienced, high-ranked teams out searching," Blitz commented. "Even with us helping out, we'd have to be very lucky to even find any clues as to where they might be."

"Oh, don't say that," Sera responded. "Every little bit counts. And we have just as much of a chance at finding something about it as anyone else, don't we?"

"I guess…" Blitz replied.

The three moved on the next floor, where they fought some blue Pokémon with a black and white spiral pattern on their bellies and a white tadpole tail. The Poliwag went down easily to Blitz's Spark attack, even if he still felt a little uncertain about using it in an area like this.

Chiaki found himself enjoying the feeling of the cool river water on his feet as they continued making their way through the dungeon. He glanced around at the deeper parts of the river, wondering just how deep it was. Could one bathe in it? Or would the wilds not like that? And how come none of the items seemed to be in those deeper parts of the water, unless a water type living in the dungeon had dropped it when being knocked out?

Chiaki continued following his teammates onto the next floor, deciding it was best to focus on the mission for now instead of being distracted by such random things.

"I wonder why the Munchlax wanted us to retrieve a Big Apple from this particular dungeon," Chiaki wondered out loud. "I mean, wouldn't it make more sense to search in a forest, or something?"

"Good question," Blitz commented, looking around. "But like with so many other strange missions I've seen, I guess we're just supposed to do it and not question it."

"Also, why is he so sure we'll find one on the sixth floor?" Chiaki asked. "Isn't that kind of suspicious?"

"I don't know…" Blitz responded.

"And why didn't he just buy a big apple?" Chiaki wondered. "Didn't he have enough money? Or did Wade not have any in stock?"

"Hey, quiet," Sera said, pointing a paw at a blue amphibian Pokémon with no arms and two pinkish gray antennas on the sides of its oval head that was sleeping next to the stairs leading to the next floor.

"Huh, a Wooper," Blitz commented. "Since those are part ground type, my electricity won't be very useful…"

"Hmm… Maybe we don't have to fight it," Sera whispered. "I think there's plenty of room for us to just sneak around it, and quickly make it up the stairs before it can wake up and attack us."

The three tried not to make much noise as they moved towards the stairs, which was a bit more complicated than usual due to the watery floor. However, the Wooper didn't seem to hear them, giggling a bit in its sleep and mumbling something about bubbles. The rescue team managed to quietly move up the stairs, without waking up the Wooper. As they moved onto the next floor, Chiaki suddenly stepped on something, causing some chestnuts to fall on him.

"Ow!" Chiaki shouted, the spiky shells of the chestnuts being particularly pleasant.

"Huh, didn't know there were traps in this dungeon," Blitz commented.

"Oh?" Chiaki asked, rubbing his head.

"Yeah, some dungeons tend to have traps randomly appear in them," Sera responded.

"What kind of traps?" Chiaki asked.

"Well, there's a lot of different ones," Blitz replied, pointing to the now visible trap tile. "That chestnut trap you triggered is one of the most harmless ones."

"It is?" Chiaki commented, dusting himself off.

"Yeah," Sera commented. "I hear there are some pretty annoying traps, like one that confuses or puts you to sleep for a little while."

"There are also traps that explode when you step on them, or causes some of the food you have with you to go bad," Blitz added. "Or one that poisons you, or prevents you from using one of your attacks…"

"I hear there's even a trap that turns items laying on the ground into Pokémon!" Sera said. "Isn't that like, the strangest thing _ever_?"

"Wow, really?" Chiaki asked. "How is something like that even possible?"

"Who knows?" Sera said, as she continued walking. "It's a _weird_ trap."

The rescue team continued moving on, exploring until they finally reached the sixth floor, where there was supposed to be a big apple lying around somewhere. Chiaki still wondered how the Munchlax could've been so sure that it would be on this particular floor on this particular dungeon, but figured it was best not to dwell on it too much.

"So, where is the apple?" Chiaki asked, looking around.

"Well, not in this part of the floor," Sera said. "Guess we better keep looking around for it."

The three moved down another path, moving on to another room. They picked up some coins, but there was no big apple in sight. They continued exploring the rest of the floor, but even after they had checked every part of the floor, they still couldn't find the big apple that was apparently supposed to be there, much to their confusion.

"Where is it?" Chiaki asked. "This _is_ the sixth floor, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Sera said, briefly glancing at Blitz to make sure it was.

"Then why isn't it here?" Chiaki asked. "Did the Munchlax get it wrong, or something?"

"Maybe a wild took it?" Blitz suggested. "They do sometimes pick up items lying around."

"Oh, good point," Sera responded. "So, if we just find the wild that took it, and knock it out, we can get the big apple!"

"How do we know which wild took it, though?" Chiaki asked.

"Well, I'm guessing it was that Tympole over there," Blitz said, pointing a paw to another tadpole-like Pokémon that was carrying a big apple in its mouth. The tadpole, which unlike Poliwag did not have legs, was swimming some distance away in the deeper parts of the water.

"Oh, that makes sense," Chiaki commented.

"So, what are we waiting for?" Sera asked. "Let's take that apple from it!"

The three Pokémon chased after the small tadpole Pokémon with the two bumps on the sides of its face, the tadpole moving away from the rescue team since they could not reach it. Normally, Pokémon tended to just approach the rescue teams, but this situation was slightly different as the Tympole was moving on a part of the dungeon that the rescue team couldn't reach due to the water being too deep.

"Okay, we should probably make sure Blitz is the one to fight this thing when we get close enough," Sera commented. "His Spark attack should make quick work of it."

"Good thing Tympole don't gain the ground type as a second type before they evolve," Blitz said.

They continued following the Tympole, waiting until the Tympole was close enough to make their move. However, Blitz suddenly noticed a slight flaw in the plan.

"Hold on," Blitz said. "If we attack now, the apple might fall into the deeper parts of the water that we can't reach!"

"Oh," Sera responded, her ears drooping slightly. "Well, that would suck."

"Why don't we just do this?" Chiaki said, grabbing the Tympole and lifting it out the water.

The Tympole seemed very surprised and confused at suddenly being picked up like that.

"Do you mind if I take this?" Chiaki asked, taking the apple from the Tympole's mouth.

The Tympole gave Chiaki an annoyed look, and spit out a stream of bubbles at him to get him to let go of him. Chiaki didn't take much damage from the attack, but was certainly startled and dropped both the apple and the Tympole on the wet floor. The Tympole turned its attention to Blitz and Sera, watching them and waiting for them to make their move.

"Hungry?" Sera asked, using her tail to pick up a seed from the treasure bag. "Try eating _this_!"

Sera flung the seed at the Tympole, and the tadpole Pokémon caught the seed in its mouth, only to immediately be teleported away to another part of the dungeon.

"Whoa, that was cool!" Chiaki said. "What kind of seed was that?"

"It's a Warp seed," Sera responded, wagging her tail happily. "Can be used to teleport yourself or your opponent to another part of the dungeon at random."

Blitz picked up the big apple lying on the ground, and handed it to Sera. Sera carefully dried it off with her paw before putting it into the treasure bag.

"Mission complete, I guess," Sera said, watching the rescue team badge flutter into the air and hover above them. "Well, let's not keep that Munchlax waiting any longer! Let's go deliver that big apple!"

And so, the magical golden light spread from the badge, and the three Pokémon were sent back to Fenix Town.

* * *

The rescue team returned to the rescue team HQ, where they delivered the big apple to the Munchlax. They rewarded with a few items, which could probably be useful later. Afterwards, the three Pokémon began walking back into town, where they came across a certain Gothorita.

"Hi!" Bow said, waving to the rescue team.

"Oh, hello there, Bow!" Sera responded. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Bow said. "I just went to the shop to see if they had a certain TM I wanted, but they didn't have it in stock."

"What TM?" Chiaki asked.

"Oh, um… What was it again?" Bow asked, putting her hand to her cheek thoughtfully as she tried to remember. "Oh, right! Shadow Ball!"

"Ooh, both of my big sisters say that's a pretty good move," Sera commented.

"I guess I can go see if they have it tomorrow," Bow said, only to frown as something occurred to her. "But knowing me, I'll probably forget to check…"

"We could check it out for you!" Chiaki said.

"You will?" Bow asked, smiling at the Mienfoo.

"Sure!" Chiaki responded, smiling back.

"Oh, that's so nice of you!" Bow replied.

"Hey, no problem," Sera said, wagging her tail. "It won't take us too long to check the shop for the Shadow Ball TM, and then stop by your house to tell you if they have it or not."

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then!" Bow said, and began walking away, only to stop and turn around as she remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot!"

"What is it?" Blitz asked.

"I had a vision a few days ago in which Chiaki met this mysterious Elgyem," Bow replied. "I get the impression she might know something about you, so when you meet this Elgyem, you should ask her if she might be able to help you solve the mystery about your memory loss!"

"Uh… Thanks, I'll keep that in mind…" Chiaki responded, as Bow happily skipped back home.

"Didn't that already happen yesterday?" Sera asked.

"She seemed to be in a good mood," Chiaki commented, smiling to Sera. "I didn't want to risk ruining it."

"Hello," a certain voice buzzed, the rescue team turned to see Sting and his teammates come over.

"Any luck finding anything about the crystals?" Blitz asked.

"I'm afraid not," Sting responded. "We did eventually handle some rescue missions, but we didn't learn anything regarding the crystals."

"Doesn't look like anyone else did either," Mirage commented as she and her teammates walked over to the other two rescue teams.

"Maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow?" Melody said. "After all, if all the rescue teams keep working hard, we're bound to learn something about the crystals eventually! Just like that Mienshao said!"

"The mushroom agrees with Melody," Cordyceps replied. "Surely we will solve the mystery behind those missing crystals!"

"I know we will!" Chiaki joined in. "There's no doubt about it!"

"Now, that's the right attitude!" Mirage said. "But for now, let's call it a day and get some rest."

"Yeah," Sting responded. "We'll need our energy for continuing our search tomorrow!"

And so, the rescue teams went home to rest up, so they could be ready for tomorrow. Even though they were worried and didn't know what would happen, they decided to hope for the best.

* * *

Bow was lying in her bed, a big purple pillow filled with the fluff that the Whimsicott species shed. She looked up at the stars from the hole in the ceiling, smiling at the stars sparkling in the sky.

"The stars sure are beautiful tonight," Bow commented.

Stella however, didn't seem to hear her daughter. She was currently floating a few feet off the floor, the white ribbon-like feelers and her eyes glowing as she gazed up at the stars. She was currently having a vision, and was trying to understand what exactly she was seeing in it.

"Roots… are spreading fast…" she muttered. "That plant… isn't native to the forest… Where did it come from?"

* * *

**End of Chapter 7**


	8. And remember, this is just a hypothetical question.

* * *

The night seemed almost longer than usual, at least for the rescue teams just waiting for the morning to come so they could go out and search for the crystals. Chiaki was having a dream, in which he was exploring the Meridian Forest at night. As he continued running past several trees that looked a lot alike, he suddenly spotted a tower in the distance. Deciding to get a closer look, Chiaki began running towards it. However, no matter how much he ran, he didn't seem to be getting any closer to the tower.

"Huh, that's strange…" Chiaki commented, as he realized this.

He looked at the tower in the distance, and tried taking a few steps backwards. However, he didn't seem to be getting any further away from the tower either, much to his confusion. He kept walking backwards for a few more moments, before bumping into something fuzzy behind him. Chiaki nervously looked over his shoulder, to see a large brown bear with a yellow ring on its chest.

"Oh, you startled me…" Chiaki said, turning around and taking a few steps back.

As Chiaki put some distance between him and the Ursaring, he soon noticed that there was something _very_ wrong with the bear Pokémon. The Ursaring seemed to be breathing heavily, and its eyes seemed to be glowing with yellow light.

"What is going on?" Chiaki muttered, nervously backing away from the Ursaring.

Suddenly, the Ursaring gave a terrifying roar, as if it was crying out in pain. Chiaki quickly began running away as the bear Pokémon clutched its head, the Ursaring's roars echoing through the forest. Chiaki continued running until he could no longer hear the roars, taking a moment to stop and catch his breath. He soon realized he wasn't safe yet, as he heard growls from somewhere near him.

Looking around, he soon spotted a pack of gray and black wolf-like Pokémon emerging from shadows. The pack of Mightyena had the same glowing eyes as the Ursaring, and they seemed to be foaming at the mouth as they continued growling. Chiaki quickly started running again, figuring it was best to get as far away from them as possible. However, the forest around him was starting to get distorted and seemed to be rearranging itself around him.

"What's happening?" Chiaki muttered under his breath as he stopped running for a moment to look at the forest changing itself around him.

It looked like the trees were getting twisted, bending and changing sizes. Some parts of the ground appeared to be floating in mid-air, and some parts of the area seemed to be flickering in and out of existence at random. Chiaki looked around nervously at the strange surroundings, half-expecting the sky to fall down any moment. The sky seemed mostly unchanged, until a sudden gust of wind blew all the stars away.

While watching the stars being carried off by the wind, Chiaki suddenly heard a hiss and turned to see several beige cats with purple ears seeming to be emerging from the trees, literally walking right through them as if they weren't even there. The Delcatty also had the same glowing eyes and seemed to be in the same feral state as the Ursaring and the Mightyena.

"Okay…" Chiaki said, taking a few steps back. "Can this get _any_ stranger?"

As if on cue, a pair of gray tentacles emerged from the ground and wrapped themselves around Chiaki's leg, that particular part of the grass feeling like it had been replaced with water despite it looking exactly the same as the rest of the grass. Chiaki struggled to free himself as the feral Delcatty began slowly moving closer to him while hissing and glaring at him. Chiaki knew there was no way he could handle this on his own, he needed help.

"I need my friends, but where are they?" Chiaki asked himself, the tentacles holding him turning out to belong to a blue jellyfish-like Pokémon with something resembling red gems on its bell.

As Chiaki continued trying to free himself from the Tentacool, he suddenly heard an evil laughter from somewhere above him. He looked up to see what appeared to be a bird-like Pokémon composed of an orb like body with fork-like wings, talons and a fork-like tail, held up by strings that seemed to be just hanging down from the sky…

* * *

"Chiaki, wake up!" Blitz said, shaking Chiaki's arm with his paw.

Chiaki opened his eyes, looking up at his concerned friend. Chiaki realized he must've been tossing and turning in his sleep, waking up Blitz.

"Oh, hey Blitz…" Chiaki mumbled, rubbing his head.

"You okay?" Blitz asked. "It sounded like you were having a bad dream."

"Yeah…" Chiaki responded, nodding his head slightly. "It was crazy… There was like, never ending forest, demonic Delcatty and this flying… _thing_ that was laughing at me!"

"Well, it was just a dream," Blitz said, comfortingly rubbing Chiaki's back with his paw, careful not to accidentally zap him with his electricity in the process. "Try to go back to sleep now."

"Okay," Chiaki responded. "Sorry if I woke you up."

"Don't worry about it," Blitz replied, curling back up onto his bed and going back to sleep.

Chiaki lay back down on his bed, thinking about that crazy nightmare he had. He figured it was probably just concern about what might happen if those crystals weren't found and returned. Hopefully someone would be able to find them soon…

* * *

The next morning, Chiaki and Blitz went into town and met with Sera, noticing several rescue teams standing about discussing the current situation with the missing crystals. It didn't seem like anyone had been able to find anything, but they were going to continue searching until they did.

"Looks like other rescue teams have the searching covered," Sera commented. "So, anything we should do before stopping by the HQ to find a mission?"

"We promised Bow we'd check if Vic had any Shadow Ball TMs in stock, didn't we?" Blitz asked.

"Oh, right," Sera replied. "So, we'll stop by the shop first."

They walked up to the shop, and asked Vic about the TM.

"A Shadow Ball TM? Let me check…" Vic quickly looked over the TMs he had in stock. "… Nope, don't have any in stock."

"Oh, okay," Sera replied.

"Anything else interest you?" Vic asked.

"No, we're good," Sera responded. "Thanks, anyways!"

And so, the rescue team decided to head over to Stella's house, to let Bow know that there were no Shadow Ball TMs for sale at the shop today.

* * *

The three Pokémon walked up to Stella's house. Sera peeked in through the door, looking around for Bow. The Gothorita was wandering around the room holding a notebook in her hand; she seemed to be looking for something.

"Hmm… I can't find it…" Bow muttered, before noticing Sera and her teammates at the door. "Oh! Hey guys!"

"Hi Bow!" Sera replied.

"Hey, could you guys help me out? I can't find my notebook, and…" before Bow could finish her sentence, she looked down at her hand and realized what she had been carrying the whole time. "… Never mind, I found it!"

"That's great!" Chiaki responded, giving the Gothorita a friendly smile.

"Hey, Bow?" Blitz said. "We stopped by the shop to see if they had any Shadow Ball TMs in stock today, just like we said we would yesterday."

"Thanks!" Bow responded. "Did they have any?"

"… No," Blitz replied, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Oh," Bow said, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, I suppose it can wait."

Suddenly, Stella came walking down the stairs, yawning and looking like she had just woken up. She rubbed her eyes for a moment, before noticing the visitors.

"Oh, hello there," Stella said. "Didn't realize it was already this late… I was up for longer than I had intended last night, because I had a vision I just _had_ to try to understand."

"What kind of vision?" Chiaki asked.

"Well…" Stella said, rubbing her eyes. "I think I know where one of the eight missing crystals is."

" _You do!?_ " the rescue team exclaimed in unison.

"Yes," Stella responded. "The vision revealed to me the current location of it."

"So, where is it?" Sera asked.

"It is hidden somewhere in the Harmony Forest," Stella replied, looking a bit concerned. "However… There was something else in the vision that concerns me…"

"Oh?" Blitz inquired.

"A strange plant… One not native to the forest…" Stella explained. "I wonder if there might be a connection between it and the crystal…"

"Hmm, we'd better tell the other rescue teams about this," Blitz commented.

"Yeah, I guess we should get going," Sera responded. "Bye!"

"Bye-bye!" Bow said, waving good-bye to the rescue team as they left the house.

* * *

Blitz, Sera and Chiaki began walking up to the rescue team HQ; however, on the way there Sera suddenly stopped walking. Blitz and Chiaki stopped too, wondering what the young Eevee had in mind.

"Aren't you coming with us, Sera?" Chiaki asked.

"I was just thinking…" Sera responded, a slight smirk on her face. "Should we _really_ tell the other rescue teams about this?"

"Huh?" Blitz replied. "But, everyone's looking for the crystals! We _have_ to tell them!"

"I suppose that _would_ be the right thing to do," Sera commented. "But you have to admit, this is one heck of an opportunity for us."

"What are you talking about?" Blitz asked.

"Don't you see it?" Sera responded. "If we get that crystal back ourselves, there's no doubt we'd earn some serious respect from the other rescue teams!"

"Get it back ourselves?" Blitz asked. "I don't know… Sounds risky…"

"Oh, don't be like that!" Sera said, wagging her tail. "I'm pretty sure rescue teams at our level can handle Harmony Forest."

"What's the Harmony Forest?" Chiaki spoke up.

"Oh, it's a forest where the Pokémon live in harmony," Sera responded.

Chiaki wasn't really sure how to respond to that.

"What if the other Pokémon get mad that we kept the information from them?" Blitz asked.

"As long as one of the crystals is brought back, does it really matter?" Sera responded.

"I don't know…" Blitz replied, rubbing his forelegs together. "I still think it's a bad idea to do this on our own."

"Blitz, other Pokémon would be more likely to take me seriously if we did this!" Sera responded.

"Isn't that kind of… selfish?" Blitz responded, looking down nervously.

"You think I'm _selfish!?_ " Sera exclaimed, her ears folding back in shock.

"Well, um…" Blitz wasn't sure what to say.

"Besides, it's not like you and Chiaki _wouldn't_ benefit from it," Sera added. "Not to mention that the crystal would be brought back. Is that _really_ so selfish!?"

"Um…" Blitz began to nervously back away from Sera, worried he had made her mad. Worried that a fight was about to break out between his teammates, Chiaki decided to intervene.

"Don't fight!" Chiaki shouted, causing them to stop and turn their attention to him. "Please, don't fight each other! You two are so great together!"

" _Huh!?_ " Blitz and Sera exclaimed in unison, staring at the Mienfoo.

"You're such a great team," Chiaki said. "You shouldn't be fighting."

"Oh, right," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "Teammates…"

"Yeah…" Sera replied, glancing around. "I totally knew that was what he meant."

"So… How about we forget this for now, and go find a mission?" Chiaki suggested.

"… Sure," Sera responded. "Let's go."

* * *

The three Pokémon went up to the rescue team HQ, and found themselves a mission to search for a Starly that had gone off to explore the Granite Grotto by herself. The mission request that had been put up by the Starly's father, making Blitz wonder why the Staraptor hadn't just gone off to search for his daughter himself. Regardless, the rescue team went into the Granite Grotto to find the missing bird Pokémon. However, despite Chiaki's suggestion that they stop worrying about it for now, they couldn't help but spend most of the mission thinking about what to with the knowledge about the location of one of the missing crystals.

"So… What will it be?" Sera asked. "Tell the other rescue teams, or keep it to ourselves?"

"I don't know…" Blitz responded, keeping his gaze on the cave floor.

"What about you, Chiaki?" Sera asked. "What do you think we should do?"

"Well, both of you have really good points," Chiaki said, not wanting to take sides. "Blitz has a good point about telling the other rescue teams probably being the right thing to do, but Sera also has a good point about this being a great opportunity for us."

The rescue team continued exploring the dungeon, unable to figure out how to make their choice. They eventually came across the Starly, finding her repeatedly pecking a very annoyed wild Aron. They teleported out of the dungeon with her and returned her to her father. After receiving their reward, the three of them headed outside, still thinking about the crystal that only they knew the whereabouts of.

"Okay… How about this," Sera said. "We'll think about this until tomorrow, and make our decision on what we'll do then, okay?"

"Okay…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Fine with me," Chiaki replied.

"All right…" Sera said. "I'm heading home now. See you guys tomorrow."

"Bye Sera," Blitz and Chiaki said, waving good-bye to their teammate as she walked home.

"So… What should we do now?" Chiaki asked. "Head home, or do you want to go hang out somewhere?"

"I don't know…" Blitz responded. "I think I'll head down to the dojo and do some training."

"You're going to go train _now_?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yeah…" Blitz said. "I'll meet you back home when I'm done, okay?"

"Okay, I guess…" Chiaki responded as Blitz walked over to the dojo. "… Guess I'm on my own. What do I do now?"

Chiaki decided to head over to the café, and maybe get something to drink. On the way there, he happened to come across a certain Elgyem.

"Oh, hi Elina," Chiaki said, smiling at the green Pokémon.

Elina waved her hand in response, her different colored fingers flashing for a moment.

"Hey, do you want to go to the café with me?" Chiaki asked. "I kind of need someone to talk to, and you do seem like someone who is good at keeping secrets…"

* * *

While Sera was eating dinner, she kept thinking about the crystal that only she and her teammates knew the whereabouts of. She glanced up at her five older siblings and their parents, who were also eating their dinner. Her father, a yellow fox-like Pokémon with green leaf-like ears and a leaf-like tail was talking to Sera's oldest sister, a purple cat like Pokémon with a tail that had a forked tip. Sera's other older sister, a blue quadruped Pokémon with a mermaid like tail and three blue fins on her head seemed to be jealous of the attention her older sister was getting, and kept trying to get her parents to focus on her instead.

One of Sera's brothers, a dark furred Pokémon with red eyes kept skeptically looking at some of the berries on his plate. His mother, another fox-like Pokémon with light blue fur looked over at him.

"Don't be so skeptical, Yoru," she said. "Those berries are full of vitamins, they're good for you."

"I don't know, they're green and green berries are usually kind of bitter..." the Umbreon responded.

"They're not that bad," the Leafeon father said to his son. "You can't say you don't like them if you haven't even tasted them, you know."

"You're the second oldest of your siblings," the Glaceon mother said. "You should be setting a good example for them."

"Yeah," one of Sera's other brothers, a yellow dog-like Pokémon with spiky fur responded with a mouthful of berries. "Set a good example by eating food you don't like!"

"Volt, don't talk with your mouth full like that," the Glaceon said to her Jolteon son. "And don't eat so fast. I know you have a high metabolism, but at least take the time to finish chewing before you swallow."

Sera wondered if she should ask any of her siblings or her parents for advice on figuring out whether her rescue team should find the crystal themselves, or inform the other rescue teams and let someone else handle it. Of course, she didn't want to tell them exactly what she was considering doing, as that way they'd tell her she was too young to do so for sure. She hated being told she was too young to do anything.

"Just because I'm the youngest it doesn't mean I can't have any good ideas…" she muttered to herself. "If only they would realize that and start taking me seriously…"

"Hey, it's not like our parents don't take the time to listen to you," one of Sera's brothers, a red furred fox-like Pokémon with a yellow fluffy tail said to her, having been just quietly eating his dinner until now. "At least you're not completely invisible."

"Volt, paws off the table," the Glaceon mother said to her youngest son, the Jolteon sighing in annoyance.

"You say that like being invisible is a _bad_ thing," Volt commented in response to his Flareon brother.

"Hey, guys?" Sera said, looking to her Flareon and Jolteon brothers. "Say you came across this great opportunity, but there might be other Pokémon that should know about it and regardless of whether you do it yourself or leave it to someone else, everyone would benefit from it…"

"… What is this about?" the Flareon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, it's just a hypothetical question," Sera said, hoping to keep her brother from getting suspicious. "That's all, really."

"Is it?" the Flareon responded, not entirely convinced.

"Yes, that is all it is," Sera replied, nodding her head. "So, what would you do, hypothetically?"

"Is "hypothetical" another word you got Amethyst to teach you so you could sound smarter?" Volt asked, smirking at his younger sister.

"I didn't ask you!" Sera responded, giving Volt an annoyed look.

"Ooh! I know smart words too!" the Vaporeon chimed in. "Like sesquipedalian!"

"No one cares, Sirena," Volt responded. "Besides, I bet you don't even know what that word _means_."

"Volt, don't bother your sisters," the Glaceon said, much to the Jolteon's frustration.

So, what would you do?" Sera asked her Flareon brother. "And remember, this is just a _hypothetica_ l question."

"Very well," the Flareon responded, deciding to just go along with it. "But I'm afraid I can't really answer that."

"Oh," Sera replied.

"The only advice I can really give you is to do whatever _you_ feel is the best option," the Flareon said, smiling to his little sister. "I believe in you."

"Thanks, Flare," Sera replied, smiling back. "At least _you_ take me seriously."

"You're welcome," Flare responded.

Sera continued eating her dinner, feeling a bit more confident knowing that she had her brother's support. She just hoped it would make the decision easier to take when she had to bring it up to her teammates tomorrow…

* * *

Blitz was making his way through one of the obstacle courses in the dojo while Hercules looked on. While Blitz was doing okay on the obstacle course, Hercules couldn't help but notice that the young Shinx seemed to have something on his mind. As Blitz finished the course, Hercules walked over to him.

"Not bad," Hercules said. "But I noticed your aim was a bit off at a few points."

"Oh," Blitz responded, sitting down and taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Is something bothering you?" Hercules asked, petting the Shinx on the head.

"You can tell?" Blitz asked.

"Blitz, you didn't come here just to train, did you?" Hercules asked, giving a reassuring smile. "If you wanted advice, you could've just said so right away."

"Okay," Blitz responded. "I'm not sure how to explain it, though…"

"Just try," Hercules said.

"Well… I guess you could say we found a potential mission," Blitz said. "And I personally think it would be better to let another rescue team handle this one, while Sera feels that this is too big of an opportunity for us to pass up."

"I see," Hercules responded.

"And regardless of whether we do it or not, the result would be the same," Blitz explained. "So, that might be making it even more difficult for us to decide what to do…"

"And you also don't want to disappoint Sera, right?" Hercules responded.

"Of course not," Blitz replied.

"Blitz, I know you don't want to oppose your team leader, and more importantly, your friend," Hercules said. "But you shouldn't be afraid to speak up when you _know_ what the right thing to do is."

"I don't really know if there's a right or a wrong thing to do here, though," Blitz replied. "A lot of Pokémon would benefit from it regardless of who handles the mission…"

"I see…" Hercules responded. "If that's the case, then I guess this is something you need to figure out on your own."

"Oh…" Blitz replied, rubbing the yellow rings on his forelegs together.

"Actually… I think there's still some advice I can give," Hercules said, after taking a moment to think more about it.

"Go on," Blitz replied.

"During our lives, we will likely come across situations we're not ready for, situations we'd rather not deal with," Hercules explained. "As much as we don't want to, we sometimes _have_ to face up to them."

"So… Are you saying I _should_ go on the mission?" Blitz asked.

"No, I'm just saying that having to deal with things we're not prepared for is a part of life," Hercules said, petting the young Shinx. "However, in this case, you and your teammates _do_ have the choice of whether to deal with it on your own, or leave it to someone else."

"I'm confused…" Blitz said.

"Well, just remember that you do get to choose whether to do it or not," Hercules said, giving another friendly smile. "You might not have that privilege another time, so don't feel bad if you do back out of it this time."

"Okay, I guess…" Blitz responded, still not entirely sure what to make of this.

"Whatever you decide to do, know that you always have my support," Hercules said. "And if you need any more advice, or you just need someone to talk to, you can always come to me."

"Thanks, Hercules," Blitz replied, smiling at the Heracross.

"No problem," Hercules responded. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"No, I'm good," Blitz replied.

Blitz felt more confident after the talk with Hercules, but he still hadn't been able to make up his mind on which choice to make. Face a challenge he wasn't sure if he was ready for, or let someone else handle it?

* * *

There were few customers in the café this evening, seeing as most of the regular customers were rescue teams and most of the rescue teams were still busy searching for any leads on the missing crystals. While this meant less business, River didn't mind. It was nice to have some quiet days once in a while, as not having as many customers to tend to made things a little less stressful. The kitchen staff probably felt the same way.

River looked around at the customers sitting at the tables, which included two or three rescue teams, and a few lone customers. There was also a certain Mienfoo and Elgyem sitting at a table in a quiet spot where they could talk privately. Well, Chiaki was doing the talking, explaining the situation to Elina.

"And, that's about it," Chiaki said, finishing his explanation.

Elina nodded her head, to signal that she had listened to every word of Chiaki's explanation and understood the situation. She had a concerned look in her eyes, but Chiaki couldn't figure out what was on her mind. He figured it was best not to bother her about it, and focus on sorting out his own dilemma.

"What do you think, Elina?" Chiaki asked. "Do it ourselves, or let someone else handle it?"

The Elgyem thought about it, unsure how to respond. She had to take a few moments to think about it, before finally reaching a decision. She pointed a hand at Chiaki, much to his surprise.

"… You think we should do it ourselves?" Chiaki asked, to which Elina nodded in response. "Are you sure?"

Chiaki took a sip of the berry juice he had ordered, while Elina just watched him, not having ordered anything. It occurred to Chiaki that he couldn't really tell where Elina's mouth was, if she even had one. Perhaps she didn't need to eat? Or did she eat something other than food? Or she just had different tastes in food that no one really understood? Chiaki realized that he was getting distracted again.

"It's not that I don't trust your good judgment or something," Chiaki said. "I just don't want to risk starting a fight by choosing one or the other… Do you understand?"

Elina nodded her head.

"But you still think we should do it ourselves?" Chiaki asked again. "You're really, definitely, absolutely, one-hundred percent sure about that?"

Elina nodded her head again.

"Oh, okay then…" Chiaki responded. "Thanks, Elina."

Chiaki hoped that following Elina's advice wouldn't start a fight, but surely he and his friends would reach an agreement, wouldn't they? He decided it was best to have faith in his friends, both his two teammates and Elina.

* * *

Later in the night, Chiaki laid in his bed thinking, as Blitz finally came home after having spent a few hours at the dojo. The Shinx quickly walked over to his bed, and crawled into it, lying down. He then looked over at Chiaki, the two just looking at each other while they both waited for the other to speak. Chiaki was the one to finally break the silence.

"So… What do you think we should do?"

"I don't know…" Blitz responded, taking a few seconds to think about it. "… We probably won't be seeing an opportunity as big as this again anytime soon, right?"

"Does that mean we'll go for it?" Chiaki asked, surprised at hearing Blitz say that.

"I guess," Blitz replied.

"Cool," Chiaki responded, smiling at Blitz. "Sera will probably be happy to hear that."

"Yeah, probably," Blitz replied. "… Good night, Chiaki."

"Good night," Chiaki responded, closing his eyes and trying to sleep.

He felt very relieved now that Blitz was willing to go along with taking the mission, and was looking forward to tomorrow. He wondered what the Harmony Forest was like, but figured it was best not to get too excited right now as he was supposed to be sleeping. He needed his energy for tomorrow, after all.

* * *

**End of Chapter 8**


	9. So, you need some help with this plant problem?

* * *

Another new day had begun, and rescue teams were getting ready for another day of work. Blitz, Sera and Chiaki had already met up in a quiet spot where they could talk privately, and were now discussing the situation and the decision they were about to make. After several minutes of talking, it seemed the three of them had reached an agreement.

"So… We're really going to do this, then?" Sera asked.

"I guess so…" Blitz responded, nervously rubbing his forelegs together.

"All right then…" Sera replied. "Let's go make our preparations, then."

The rescue team spent several minutes going around town making the necessary preparations, trying to figure out which supplies to bring along and rearranging the treasure bag several times before they were satisfied with the selection of items. After stopping by the bank to deposit the leftover money after they had bought some extra supplies at the shop, the three of them began heading up to the rescue team HQ.

Before reaching the HQ, Sera decided to fill Chiaki in on some more details about Harmony Forest, and pulled out the map.

"The Harmony Forest is there," Sera said, pointing her paw at the map. "As you can see, it's a little further away from here than the dungeons we've been to so far."

"It is a somewhat unique place in that there are multiple small mystery dungeons within the forest, connecting the different areas of the forest," Blitz explained. "We enter the forest through a regular mystery dungeon."

"I see," Chiaki said, looking at the map. "Are we going to walk all the way there? Because it looks like it would take a while to get there, even if we walked really fast..."

"Oh, don't worry," Sera said, winking. "There is another, much faster and easier way to get there."

"Ooh, what is it?" Chiaki asked. "Can you show me?"

"You'll get to see once we get to the HQ," Sera said, wagging her tail.

"Okay!" Chiaki replied.

The three continued heading up to the HQ, when Blitz suddenly noticed a certain Elgyem floating over in their direction.

"Chiaki, your friend is here," Blitz said, pointing to the Elgyem.

"Oh, hi Elina!" Chiaki said, walking over to her. "Did you come to wish us good luck?"

The Elgyem shook her head, before pointing to herself with both hands, and then pointing to the rescue team.

"You want to come along?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly. "Oh, that's nice, but I don't think that's really necessary."

Elina looked down at the ground, seeming a bit disappointed.

"Hey, don't worry," Chiaki said, comfortingly patting the Elgyem's shoulder. "We can handle this! So, you can just stay here and relax, and then I'll tell you all about how it went when we get back, okay?"

Elina looked up at the Mienfoo, unsure how to respond.

"See you later, Elina!" Chiaki said, waving good-bye to her as he ran over to join his two teammates, as they walked into the wooden building.

Elina looked up at the rescue team HQ for a few moments, before floating back into the main part of town so she could make some preparations…

* * *

Blitz and Sera led Chiaki over to a purple curtain, and into a room behind said curtain. The first thing Chiaki noticed inside the room was a large map painted on the wall in the back of the room, with mystery dungeons marked on it similar to the smaller maps rescue teams carried. There was also a wooden desk in the room, but Chiaki couldn't see anyone behind the counter. However, he could hear a light snoring, and Sera led him over to show him what was behind the desk.

And behind it was a yellow humanoid Pokémon with small pointy ears, sleeping on a somewhat worn-out looking dark green pillow. Sera carefully poked the brown armor-like pad covering the Abra's shoulder, causing the psychic type to sleepily open her eyes and sit up.

"What day is it…?" the Abra sleepily mumbled while rubbing her eyes.

"Chiaki, this is Kala," Sera said, pointing her paw at the Abra. "She can use her teleportation powers to help rescue teams reach destinations that are too far away to walk to when we need to get there fast!"

"Cool!" Chiaki responded.

"So, where do you want to go today…?" Kala muttered, yawning and stretching.

"Harmony Forest," Sera replied, smiling and wagging her tail. "Can you send us there?"

"Sure, no problem…" Kala responded, closing her eyes and hovering in mid-air as she concentrated on sending the rescue team to their desired destination.

Soon the rescue team were enveloped by a green light, and disappeared from the room. With her job done, Kala lay back down onto her pillow, going back to sleep.

* * *

The rescue team materialized in front of the entrance to the Harmony Forest in a green orb of light, Chiaki looked around in awe at the sudden change of surroundings. As far as he could tell, there were many tall trees ahead. He wondered how different this forest was from Meridian Forest.

"Well, here we are!" Sera announced, wagging her tail happily. "So, should we just go ahead and get this search started?"

"I suppose…" Blitz replied, nervously rubbing his legs together. "Are you _absolutely_ sure we have everything we need?"

"Nervous?" Sera asked, grabbing one of Blitz's front paws with her front paws. "It's okay; you're not the only one."

"Sera…" Blitz looked up at his teammate.

"I'm a little nervous too," Sera said, giving a reassuring smile. "But as long as I've got you and Chiaki by my side, nothing will stop me!"

"Yeah, we're in this together!" Chiaki responded, grinning. "Just think of this as another mission!"

"… You're right," Blitz responded, smiling back at his teammates. "Let's do this."

"That's more like it!" Sera said, before entering the mystery dungeon with Blitz and Chiaki following closely behind.

Trees made up the walls of the maze; while the floor was mostly grass with occasional wild flowers visible. Sera noticed some coins lying in the grass, and picked them up, before leading Blitz and Chiaki down one of the paths leading to another room within the same floor. The Harmony Forest was a pretty big place, so finding the crystal probably wouldn't be easy. Where within the forest could it be hidden?

And that wasn't even the only question related to this strange situation. How and why had the crystal ended up here? Why had the Pokémon that stole the crystals not just kept it? But it was probably better to just focus on finding the crystal now, and ask questions later. Finding the stairs, and moving onto the next floor, the rescue team had to fight a small Pokémon covered in cotton, with two green leaves at the sides of its body.

They had to fight another one on the way to the stairs, and soon found themselves on the third floor. The third and fourth floors were fairly uneventful, only a few more items to be found and a few more battles. However, on the fifth floor, the rescue team came across a strange sight. Several strange, thick vines were blocking one of the paths out of the room they had just arrived in.

"Huh?" Sera said, tilting her head and poking the vine with her paw. "What's this?"

"I don't know…" Blitz replied. "There usually aren't any obstacles like this one in mystery dungeons…"

"Can't we just climb over it?" Chiaki asked.

"Nah, let's just take the other path over there," Sera responded, moving over to another path which wasn't blocked off.

There didn't seem to be anything else out of the ordinary on that floor, and the rescue team moved onto the sixth floor, where they had to fight off some round ladybug like Pokémon and some yellow green-spotted mushroom-like Pokémon. Chiaki discovered he could make an opponent flinch by striking it quickly. However, it seemed the attack only worked as long as he caught the opponent off-guard. According to Blitz, this attack was called Fake Out.

"Wow, I figured out a new attack all on my own!" Chiaki exclaimed happily.

"Congratulations," Blitz replied. "It should be a useful move once you're mastered it. Maybe we should head back to the dojo so you can practice once we're done here?"

"Hey, how many floors is this dungeon, again?" Sera asked, looking around.

"Fifteen, I think," Blitz responded. "And I think the smaller ones within the forest itself are at five floors, or so."

"Okay…" Sera said, realizing that they might have quite a bit of walking around to do today. "How many of the smaller dungeons are there?"

"At least three," Blitz responded. "I'm not entirely sure if that's the exact number."

"Oh," Sera replied. "So, we might have to walk through _at least_ thirty floors?"

"Possibly," Blitz said. "Depends on where the crystal is."

"Yeah…" Sera responded. "Good thing we brought a few apples in case we get hungry from all that walking."

The rescue team continued travelling through the dungeon, Chiaki practicing his Fake Out attack more as they went along. On the tenth floor of the dungeon, they noticed several strange vines sprouting from the ground near the walls, similar to the ones blocking the path back at the fifth floor.

"Strange…" Blitz commented. "What's up with these vines?"

"I don't know…" Sera responded. "At least they're not in our way this time."

The rescue team continued heading through the floor, until they found the stairs and moved onto the next floor. Blitz was getting the feeling that these vines didn't belong in the forest, and wondered where they might've come from. There was definitely something strange about it…

* * *

Back in town, Wade and Vic were going about their usual business. Mirage had just sold a Gold Ribbon to Wade, and gotten 2000 coins in return. The Zoroark briefly looked through the items in her treasure bag to see if there was anything else she could sell.

"Hmm… I guess there's nothing else here really worth selling," Mirage said, closing the bag. "Well, better go find myself some missions. I've still got to make some money even with the whole crystal crisis going on. I can't let my family down, after all."

And with that, Mirage and her teammates left the stall, just as a certain Elgyem hovered up to the shop, waving to get Vic's attention. The Nuzleaf, however, seemed to be too busy polishing an orb to notice. Wade gave Elina a friendly smile, and then lightly shook Vic's shoulder to get his attention.

"Hey, Vic," Wade said. "I think you have a customer."

"Oh," Vic replied, putting the orb down on the counter. "Well, hello there. How may I help you?"

Elina pointed a hand to the orb on the counter.

"You want to buy that Blowback Orb?" Vic asked.

Elina shook her head in response.

"No?" Vic replied, thinking for a moment. "Oh, you want to see what other orbs we have for sale today?"

Elina nodded her head in the affirmative, and Vic brought out a selection of different orbs. Not that one could really tell the difference between them at first glance, since they all looked the same.

"As you can see, we have a nice selection of orbs today," the Nuzleaf said. "See anything you like?"

Elina carefully looked over the orbs, until she saw something that caught her interest. She pointed her hand to one of the orbs displayed, and Vic took a look at it.

"Ah, you want this Mobile Orb?" he asked, picking it up. "That'll be 150 coins."

Elina produced a small bag, and telekinetically picked up the coins she had brought with her, hoping she had enough coins to afford the orb…

* * *

Sera, Blitz and Chiaki had reached the final floor of the mystery dungeon, and were getting close to the stairs. There was only one problem: Strange vines were blocking the path leading to the room with the stairs.

"Not this again!" Sera exclaimed. "How are we going to get to the stairs?"

"Is there another path?" Chiaki asked, looking around.

"I don't think there is this time…" Blitz said, thinking for a moment. "But, maybe I can use my Fire Fang attack to burn these?"

"I thought you didn't like using that attack?" Sera asked.

"Not on other Pokémon," Blitz replied. "However, I'm okay with using it to get rid of this obstacle."

"Go for it, then!" Sera said, wagging her tail enthusiastically.

Blitz walked up to the blocked path, getting onto his hind legs while holding onto the vines with his forelegs. He then opened his mouth, and his fangs began glowing with an orange light. Blitz felt heat quickly building up in his fangs, and bit down on the plant. To his surprise, the attack barely had any effect.

"It didn't work?" Sera asked, tilting her head in confusion. "Why didn't it work? Isn't fire usually super effective on plants?"

"Yes, it is," Blitz replied, examining the bite marks he'd left on the plant. "This plant, however, seems to have some sort of resistance to fire…"

"Cool," Chiaki said. "You know, except the part about it being in our way, and all…"

"Hey, what about your Ice Fang attack?" Sera asked. "Ice is also super effective on plants, right?"

"It's worth a try," Blitz replied, and once again prepared to sink his fangs into the vine.

This time, his fangs began to glow with an icy blue glow, and there was visible mist from Blitz's breath as his fangs got colder. Blitz bit down on the vine once again, and part of the vine quickly became coated in ice.

"I think its working!" Sera said, her ears perking up in excitement.

"Yeah, but they're still in our way," Chiaki pointed out.

"Not for long!" Sera replied, getting three Blast Seeds out of the treasure bag. "Here, let's take one each, and then we'll use them to break these vines apart!"

"Good idea, Sera," Blitz said, as he and Chiaki each took one of the three seeds. "We'll probably do the most damage if we use them all at the same time. Ready?"

The three of them walked up the frozen vines, popped the Blast seeds into their mouths and at the same time, spit the exploding seeds at the frozen vines. The explosion managed to break them apart to make an opening big enough for the three of them to walk through.

"We did it!" Sera said, happily wagging her tail as she ran over to the stairs along with her two teammates. "Now, let's get moving and start looking for that crystal!"

The three Pokémon then walked up the stairs, exiting the dungeon and entering the deeper parts of Harmony Forest. However, they were surprised at what they saw as they entered the area, as several strange vines similar to the ones they came across inside the mystery dungeon appeared to be laying on the ground, with some of them seeming to have wrapped themselves around trees.

"What is with these vines?" Sera asked, poking at one with her paw.

"I don't know…" Blitz replied, looking around. "This is really strange…"

The rescue team began looking around, not knowing that they were being watched from the trees. A trio of monkeys with green and yellow bodies and a small green bush like growth on their heads curiously watched the rescue team, before exchanging glances.

"Rescue team!" one of the three Pansage said, excitedly pointing to the three Pokémon below.

"Think they can help us?" asked one of the other two, scratching its head.

"Yes, they might be able to help us!" responded the third one, excitedly swinging on the branch it was holding. "We should take them to see the leader of our tribe!"

"Ooh, good idea!" the first Pansage replied, clapping its hands. "Let's follow them!"

The three Pansage playfully started following the rescue team exploring the forest below by moving from tree to tree; by extending their green tails into long whip-like vines and using them grab onto branches and swing to the next tree. Blitz soon noticed the shadows of the three Pokémon above them, and stopped to look up at the three Pansage. Sera and Chiaki soon noticed as well, and the Pansage began making their way down to the rescue team.

"What's up with them?" Sera wondered.

"Maybe they can help us find the crystal?" Chiaki suggested, smiling as the three Pansage made their way down from the trees.

"I suppose we should find out what they want…" Blitz said, as the monkeys reached the ground and approached the rescue team.

"Hi!" one of the three Pansage said, waving to the other three Pokémon. "You're a rescue team, right?"

"Yes, we are," Sera responded, tilting her head slightly. "What can we do for you?"

"A strange plant showed up in the forest a few days ago!" the Pansage said, jumping up and down.

"And its vines are like, growing and going all over the place!" one of the other two said, pointing to some strange vines that seemed to be slowly crawling up a tree.

"And they're getting in our way, and that's really annoying!" the third one said, stomping on the ground. "We can't get to the Pansear and Panpour tribes or the place where we grow berries without taking a lot of detours, even having to go through mini-dungeons and have to deal with wild Pokémon slowing us down!"

"What can we do to help?" Chiaki asked, immediately jumping at the opportunity to help the Pokémon of Harmony Forest.

"Oh, you _will_ help us?" one of the Pansage asked, happy at the Mienfoo's eagerness to help.

"Thank you so much!" one of the other two Pansage said, clapping her hands.

"Come with us!" the third one said, motioning with his hand for them to follow. "You should come meet our tribe's leader, and help us work out how to get rid of the plant with him!"

"Okay!" Chiaki replied, smiling at the trio of grass monkeys.

"Hold on a minute," Sera said, looking over at her teammate. "Chiaki, we were supposed to be searching for the crystal, remember?"

"But these Pokémon need our help!" Chiaki replied. "And since we're a rescue team, we _should_ help them!"

"Well, I guess you have a point there…" Sera responded.

"And besides, if we help them, maybe they will help us?" Chiaki pointed out.

"I suppose having some Pokémon that know the forest help us search would make things a lot easier," Blitz commented.

"Okay, then," Sera said, smiling to her teammates. "Let's help these Pansage sort out this plant problem!"

"All right, let's go!" Chiaki said, and followed the Pansage trio.

* * *

The Pansage trio led the rescue team further into the forest, explaining that they were going to bring them to their village. There, they would meet with the Pansage tribe leader and try to come up with a way to get rid of the mysterious plant. On the way, the rescue team saw more vines laying across the ground, or wrapping themselves around trees. After a while, the Pansage trio stopped walking.

"We're here!" one of the three Pansage said, grinning at the somewhat confused rescue team.

"Uh… What?" Sera responded, looking around. "I don't see any village here."

"Silly Eevee!" one of the other two Pansage said, pointing up towards the treetops above. "Our village is up there!"

"Your village is in the top of those trees?" Chiaki asked.

"Yep!" the third Pansage replied, nodding her head.

"Um… How exactly are we supposed to get up there?" Blitz asked, rubbing his forelegs together. "I don't think we're as good at climbing as you Pansage are…"

"Oh, don't worry!" one of the Pansage responded. "We have another way to get you up there!"

"Just wait right here," one of the other two said, and started climbing up a tree along with the other two Pansage. "We'll be right back!"

The monkey Pokémon quickly made their way up the trees, while the rescue team waited for them to return, curious about how the Pansage were going to get them up there. Soon, the rescue team saw the three Pansage slowly making their way down to them by lowering what appeared to be a wooden cage-like structure held up by vines.

"What's that?" Chiaki asked, as the bottom of the wooden cage-like structure touched the ground.

"Like it?" one of the Pansage asked, opening the wooden door. "We use this to bring visitors up to our village!"

"Assuming they're around the same size as us," one of the other two Pansage added, while holding onto one of two rotating levers on the sides of the wooden structure, which were used to make the vines pull it up. "We can't really bring bigger, heavier Pokémon up there."

"And even if we could, it would probably not be a good idea," the third Pansage commented, giggling a little. "Well, get in, will you?"

"Um… Okay…" Blitz responded, and got onto the cart with Sera and Chiaki.

Once all three were on board, the Pansage shut the door and the other two began rotating the levers to pull the cart up. Blitz looked down at the ground, feeling more nervous the higher up they got. Chiaki on the other hand seemed to find this experience rather exciting, and found it pretty awesome that the Pansage had been able to build the contraption that was bringing them up to the treetop village out of things found in the forest.

Soon, they reached the village, with several small wooden huts built on thick branches, and several rope bridges connecting the village.

"Awesome!" Chiaki exclaimed upon seeing the village.

"Welcome to our village!" one of the Pansage said, opening the wooden door on the cart to let the rescue team out. "Follow us; we'll take you to our leader!"

The six Pokémon stepped onto one of the rope bridges, the Pansage trio leading the way. Blitz couldn't help but feel a bit nervous as he looked down and saw just how far away from the ground they were. The slight swaying of the bridge didn't help, even though the rope bridge was secure. After walking across a few rope bridges, they finally found the tribe leader. He looked like a bigger Pansage, with a much bigger bush-like growth on his head.

"Ooh, is that a rescue team?" the Simisage asked, smirking.

"You must be the Pansage tribe leader," Blitz said, still a bit nervous.

"That's right," the Simisage responded, giving the rescue team a thumbs-up. "The name's Haru and it is _your_ pleasure to meet me!"

"Right…" Sera replied, not particularly impressed. "So, you need some help with this plant problem?"

"Ah, seems the Pansage there have filled you in on some of the details," Haru responded, the three Pansage covering their mouths with their hands and giggling. "Normally, such a situation wouldn't be a problem for _me_ , but the way this plant is spreading just isn't natural."

"Yeah, we saw," Sera commented. "It even got into the mystery dungeon."

"We've been at a loss of how to deal with the thing," Haru said. "However, thanks to _me_ , we may now have found the root of the problem!"

"This tribe sure is lucky to have a leader as humble as you," Sera replied, rolling her eyes.

"Why, thank you!" Haru responded, not detecting the sarcasm in Sera's voice. "Anyways, as I was saying, I sent a team of Pansage to search for the plant that all these freaky vines spread from, and not long ago, they found it in the middle of the forest!"

"So, what is the plan?" Blitz asked, rubbing his forelegs together.

"We're still working on it," Haru replied. "What we do have so far, is that we need to find a way to destroy the roots of that thing."

"Hey, weren't the vines we came across in the dungeon weak to ice?" Chiaki asked, looking over at Blitz.

"Ice, you say?" Haru responded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Uh-huh!" Chiaki replied, nodding his head. "Blitz here used his Ice Fang to help us break through some vines blocking our path!"

"Well, seems you kids may just have stumbled onto the solution to our problems!" Haru responded, snapping his fingers. "Thank you so much!"

"Ooh, really?" Chiaki asked.

"We need to use ice to break those roots, but surely that will be easier said than done," Haru said. "First, let's all head over to where the plant is."

"Uh… Okay?" Sera replied.

"As long as that lets us go back down to the ground, I'm fine with that," Blitz said, knowing he would feel less nervous once they got down from the tree.

* * *

Once the rescue team, Haru and the trio of Pansage got down from the tree, they began heading for the center of the forest. To get there, they would first have to walk through a mini dungeon with five floors. Haru decided to lead the way through the dungeon, which Sera only agreed to because he was more familiar with the forest than she was.

"So, what brings you guys into the forest, anyways?" Haru asked.

"Well, we are searching for something _very_ important," Sera replied. "And according to the town oracle, it might be hidden somewhere within this forest."

"Oh, is that so?" Haru responded. "And what would this important item be?"

"One of the eight missing crystals of the Axis Tower," Sera replied, causing Haru to stop in his tracks for a moment.

"Wait, _what_!?" Haru exclaimed. "The Axis Tower crystals are _missing_!?"

"Yeah," Blitz replied, keeping his gaze on the ground as they walked. "Apparently some Pokémon stole them a few days ago…"

"Who would do such a crazy thing!?" Haru asked, clenching his fists. "I swear, if that Pokémon were to show itself around this forest, I would give it a piece of my mind!"

"Yeah, whatever," Sera responded. "Anyways, maybe you and your tribe could, you know, help us search?"

"Of course," Haru replied, grinning. "Once we've dealt with this plant, I'll assist you guys in finding this crystal, and with _my_ help, you'll find it in no time!"

"I'll help too!" one of the Pansage said.

"Me too!" one of the other two responded.

"Me three!" the third one said.

"Thanks!" Sera replied, wagging her tail. "Searching will be much easier with the help of Pokémon that know the forest like you guys do!"

"Yeah," Haru responded. "I don't like to _brag_ , but I do know the forest pretty well."

The other six Pokémon started snickering a bit at that statement, although Haru didn't understand what it was they found so amusing. The Simisage did do a good job leading the group through the dungeon, knocking out some of the Pokémon they came across on the way with a kick or a strike from his thorny tail. He then proceeded to talk about the Acrobatics attack afterwards and how it was only one of the many attacks he had mastered.

"A tribe leader has got to know many different attacks to be able to defend his tribe, you know!" Haru said, confidently stepping up the stairs to the next floor.

"Is he _always_ like that?" Chiaki asked one of the three Pansage, seeming a bit amused at the Simisage's behavior.

"Oh, _yes_ ," the Pansage responded. "But he's still a very good leader."

"Yeah," another Pansage replied. "He really does care about our well-being, even if he does sometimes talk about himself too much."

"The tribe elected him to be our leader for a reason, after all," the third one added.

"All right, we're here!" Haru said, pointing to the final set of stairs in the dungeon.

* * *

Haru led the Pansage and the rescue team up the stairs, where they found themselves in front of the large parasitic plant growing in the center of the forest. The rescue team was surprised at just how large the plant was. It almost looked like a huge green tree, except it had many vines sprouting from the top of it, and slowly growing longer and seeming to be crawling through the forest.

"What _is_ that thing?" Sera asked, staring up at it.

"We have no idea," Haru replied. "We're not even entirely sure if it's a real plant."

"So, we need to destroy this thing before it spreads its vines any further, right?" Blitz asked, looking a bit discouraged. "How are we going to do that?"

"Don't worry, kid," Haru responded, smirking. "You see, _I_ came up with a plan while we were walking through that dungeon!"

"Of course you did," Sera replied, rolling her eyes slightly. "So, what's your great idea?"

"I haven't worked out all the details yet, but that is why I want you three to head over to the Pansear and Panpour tribes, and bring their leaders here!" Haru said, smiling at the rescue team. "I hope you don't mind me asking this?"

"I guess not," Sera responded.

"Of course, I _could_ do this without their help, but things will go a lot faster if those two and a few members of their tribes help out," Haru said, his eyes darting back and forth while a nervous smile seemed to cross his face for a brief moment. "Y-Yeah… That's right…"

"That, and you can't use any ice type attacks," one of the Pansage pointed out.

"Yeah, that too," Haru responded, glancing around.

"Just give us some directions, and we'll be on our way!" Chiaki said with his usual cheerful smile.

"All right," Haru responded, pointing in a direction. "If you head that way, you will after a short walk come across another mini dungeon. And after clearing it, just keep walking straight ahead, and you should eventually reach the Pansear tribe's village."

"Okay, thanks," Sera replied, before turning to her teammates. "Let's go find this Pansear village!"

And so, the rescue team headed off to find and ask the leaders of the Pansear and Panpour tribes for help, while Haru and the Pansage stayed behind to bounce around a few ideas on how to deal with the plant while they waited for the rescue team to return. The rescue team had not come any closer to finding the crystal, and it remained to see if they would be able to help the tribes find a solution to the plant problem. It was now clear that their mission in Harmony Forest had only just begun.

* * *

**End of Chapter 9**


	10. Think we should be concerned about the fact that she apparently has a collection of weapons?

* * *

At the rescue team HQ, a certain Elgyem was quietly checking the items she had gathered, before heading inside the room where Kala the Abra was enjoying her nap. However, contrary to what the Abra may have had assumed, she wasn't finished with today's work. Elina lightly shook the Abra's shoulder, until Kala drowsily sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"What is it now…?" the Abra mumbled groggily, before noticing Elina. "Oh, hi there… Weren't you the Elgyem who came in here last night…?"

Elina just waved in response.

"So… What may I do for you…?" Kala asked.

Elina floated over to the large map painted on the wall, and pointed her hand to a certain forest on the map.

"Harmony Forest again…?" Kala asked, to which Elina nodded in response. "Okay, I guess… Seems to be a popular place to explore all of a sudden…"

* * *

Sera, Blitz and Chiaki were making their way through one of the five floor mini mystery dungeons within the Harmony Forest, which according to Haru the Simisage would lead towards the Pansear village. More of the vines could be seen inside the dungeon, some proving to be a bit of an obstacle due to blocking off some of the paths. It was a little hard to believe these were all connected to the same plant, which was definitely not something that belonged in the forest. And the rescue team still hadn't come any closer to finding the crystal which was supposed to be hidden somewhere within the forest.

"Okay, we're almost through this dungeon," Sera said, looking around. "And once we get out, we just have to keep walking straight ahead until we reach the Pansear village, right?"

"Yes, that is what Haru said," Blitz replied.

"What do you guys think the other two tribe leaders are like?" Chiaki asked.

"I'm sure they're as nice as Haru," Sera replied. "I just hope they don't talk as much as him…"

"I just hope these guys built their villages on the ground…" Blitz commented.

"Well, we're going to find out very soon," Sera said, pointing to the stairs.

The three of them walked up the stairs one by one, exiting the mini dungeon and entering another part of the forest. In the distance, they spotted what appeared to be several small stone huts built in a fairly open area.

"That must be the Pansear village," Chiaki said.

"Guess they must've built it over there to reduce the risk of accidentally burning the forest down," Blitz commented.

"Well, let's go see them." Sera said.

The three of them began walking towards the village, when Blitz suddenly heard the sounds of leaves rustling in the bushes nearby. He also caught a brief glimpse of something with red fur hiding within the bushes. He cautiously crept up the bushes to investigate, carefully pushing part of it aside with his paw, revealing a trio of red and yellow monkeys with a fire shaped tuft on their heads.

"We've been spotted!" one of them said, before it and the other two Pansear ducked down and covered their ears.

"Hey, relax," Blitz said. "We're not going to hurt you."

"You three must be from the Pansear tribe, right?" Sera asked. "The leader of the Pansage tribe sent us here."

"What?" one of the Pansear said and took his hands off his ears. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"The leader of the Pansage tribe sent us here," Sera explained. "He wants the leader of your tribe and the Panpour tribe to help with the plant problem this forest is having."

"Ah, Haru sent you!" the Pansear responded, excitedly clapping his hands.

"And he wants help with the plant problem?" one of the other two Pansear asked, scratching her head. "Does that mean they've found a way to get rid of it?"

"Ooh, we can take you to our leader!" the third one said, jumping up and down in excitement.

The trio of Pansear ran ahead of the rescue team, leading the way into the village. While walking through the village to where the tribe leader was, the group saw several Pansear doing their jobs within the village. Some Pansear were busy forging weapons, others were using berries they had received from the Pansage tribe to make medicines.

The Pansear trio explained more about how each of the three tribes worked together, each providing something different. The Pansage were in charge of berries, the Pansear tribe made weapons and medicines, and the Panpour tribe was in charge of providing the tribes with fresh water.

"Our tribes work pretty well together," one of the Pansear commented. "So, it is very frustrating for us to not be able to reach each other easily because our fastest, safest travel routes are blocked off!"

"Yeah, we understand," Blitz responded.

"So, what can you tell us about your tribe leader?" Sera asked.

"Ooh, he's a good leader," one of the Pansear responded. "He's very nice."

"He tends to have us make weapons just so he can give those to Mizu, the leader of the Panpour tribe," one of the other two Pansear commented, snickering a little. "We think he has a crush on her."

"Luckily he isn't the kind of guy who _often_ gets distracted from his job while thinking about his crush," the third one added.

The six Pokémon walked up to where a Pokémon looking like a bigger Pansear with a fire-shaped tail and a few fire shaped tufts of hair on his head was standing, looking a bit concerned.

"I sure hope we find a way to get rid of all those vines before they spread any further," the Simisear said, holding a hand to his chin in a thoughtful way. "This can't be good for any of the Pokémon living in the forest."

"Kojin!" one of the Pansear called out. "Haru sent this rescue team to find you!"

"Oh, is that so?" the Simisear responded, walking over and giving the rescue team a friendly smile. "Welcome, rescue team."

"Hi," Sera replied, waving her paw.

"So, what brings you to our village?" Kojin asked. "Haru had a favor to ask of me?"

"Pretty much," Sera responded. "He's working on a way to get rid of the plant problem, and he wants the help of you, the Panpour tribe leader and a few members of your tribes to help him with it."

"Ah, he's working on a solution?" Kojin asked. "Excellent! Of course I will do all I can to help!"

"All right," Blitz said. "You just have to head over to the center of the forest with some of the Pansear, as well as tell us how we can get to the Panpour tribe."

"Of course," Kojin responded, pointing out a direction to them. "There may be some vines blocking off some paths, but if you can get past those, there's a mini dungeon over in that direction."

"And that leads to the Panpour tribe's village?" Chiaki asked.

"Yes," Kojin responded. "The Panpour village is built close to a big lake, a few of the buildings floating on the lake itself."

"Okay, got it," Sera replied. "Is there anything else?"

"Well, perhaps you could do me a favor?" Kojin asked, picking up a spear. "Could you deliver this to the leader of the Panpour tribe?"

Sera and her teammates just stared at Kojin for a moment.

"Actually, I think I'll just deliver it to her in person!" Kojin said, and happily headed off with a few Pansear, taking the spear with him. "See you guys later!"

Kojin and the Pansear headed off towards the center of the forest, hoping the vines wouldn't be too big an obstacle for them. The rescue team had to head off as well, and find the Panpour village. First they would have to find that mini-dungeon Kojin brought up.

"So, what do you think the Panpour tribe leader is like?" Chiaki asked.

"I don't know…" Blitz replied. "Think we should be concerned about the fact that she apparently has a collection of weapons?"

"Nah, I'm sure there's nothing to be afraid of," Sera responded, keeping an eye out for the entrance to the mini-dungeon as they walked.

* * *

The rescue team wandered around for a while, still looking for the entrance to the mini-dungeon. Sera was starting to feel hungry, though, and was getting a bit tired from all the walking. She looked over her shoulder at her two teammates, but wasn't sure whether or not they were getting tired as well. Chiaki was still as cheerful as normal; while Blitz had a thoughtful looked on his face, occasionally glancing around at vines clinging to trees and such. Eventually, she just had to stop and sit down on the grass.

"Whew, does anyone else need a short break?" Sera asked.

"Sure," Blitz responded, sitting down. "I'm guessing the dungeon entrance shouldn't be too far away from here."

"The Harmony Forest sure is big," Chiaki said. "If it has been able to spread to cover as much of the forest in vines after just a few days, I wonder what would happen if it was just allowed to keep spreading…"

"Hey, let's not think about that, okay?" Sera responded, getting two apples out of the treasure bag and giving them to her teammates before taking out a third apple for herself. "We're going to help those monkeys solve this mess, and then they'll help us find the crystal!"

"Of course," Chiaki said, taking a bite out of his apple. "I have no doubt we'll succeed!"

"I don't know…" Blitz responded, glancing around nervously at some vines. "Chiaki has a point about the plant having covered a lot of the forest in just a few days… What if that's not the _only_ thing that plant is capable of?"

"Blitz, it's a _plant_ we're talking about here," Sera replied, taking a few bites out of her apple. "It's not like it can actually fight back, or anything."

"Hey, is that the entrance to the dungeon we were looking for?" Chiaki asked, pointing to a mystery dungeon entrance with several vines blocking it.

"Huh, how'd I not notice that?" Sera said, before looking over at Blitz. "Well, you know what to do."

"I'm on it," Blitz replied, finishing eating his apple before walking up to deal with the vines blocking the entrance.

* * *

A few minutes later, after freezing the vines with Ice Fang and shattering them, the rescue team began exploring the mini dungeon. Sera confidently led the team, imagining how proud her family and the Pokémon of Fenix Town would be once she returned with one of the missing crystals. She would earn the respect of all the other rescue teams in town, and no one would treat her like a little kid anymore.

Blitz on the other hand, felt nervous for several reasons. Even if Sera said there was no reason to worry, he still couldn't help but worry that one of those vines was going to suddenly grab him and carry him away. He also worried about what would happen once they returned to Fenix Town with the crystal.

They had told Stella they would tell the other rescue teams about the location of the crystal, but they hadn't. Would Stella be mad at them for not having done something they had said they would do for her? Not to mention that the possibility of the other rescue teams getting mad for withholding such important information was still a major concern of his.

And Chiaki was just happy to be on an adventure and to have made some new friends from the Pansage and Pansear tribe, and felt excited about getting to the Panpour tribe so they could make even more new friends. He then thought about Elina, hoping she wasn't feeling too bad about not getting to come along to Harmony Forest with them.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Chiaki and his teammates, Elina was currently making her way through the dungeon leading into Harmony Forest. After Chiaki had talked to her last night and told her about the location of the crystal, she had secretly gone off to Harmony Forest after Chiaki went home to sleep. However, because of the vines and because it was dark at the time, she hadn't gotten very far. Things seemed to be going better this time, and hopefully she would catch up to Chiaki and the others soon. She had to be careful since there were wild Pokémon around, though. Especially the bug types, that had a type advantage against her.

She wasn't the bravest or strongest of Pokémon, but there was something she had to do...

* * *

The rescue team managed to get through the last floor of the mini dungeon, and began looking around for the lake where the Panpour village was supposed to be. They hadn't gotten very far, when they suddenly heard a cry for help!

"What was that!?" Sera exclaimed, looking around for the source of the scream.

"It came from over there!" Blitz said, and started running in the direction the scream came from. "We have to hurry!"

Chiaki and Sera quickly went after Blitz, and soon saw a blue and yellow monkey with a blue tuft on its head that had been tied to a tree by some of the vines. Two other Panpour were pulling on the vine, trying to free their friend. However, the two of them weren't strong enough to pull the vines off.

"Stupid plant!" one of the two Panpour said. "Release our friend!"

"Should one of us head back to the village and find Mizu?" the other one asked, before noticing the three Pokémon moving in their direction. "Is that a rescue team?"

Blitz didn't even hesitate to run up to, and use his Ice Fang to freeze part of the vine. As it froze, the part of the vine which had been holding the Panpour trapped began to loosen its grip.

"Ooh, I can move!" the trapped Panpour exclaimed, and tried to free herself now that the vines holding her had loosened up a bit.

"Grab our hands!" one of the other two Panpour said, holding out her hand for the one held by the vines to grab.

"We can probably pull you out now!" the other one said, also holding his hands out.

The Panpour managed to get her arms loose from the plant's grip, and grabbed onto the hands of her comrades. It didn't take long before the two Panpour successfully helped their friend free herself.

"I'm free!" the Panpour exclaimed, before running over and hugging Blitz. "You're my hero!"

Blitz was clearly surprised at the sudden hug, and didn't even have the time to figure out how to respond before the other two Panpour suddenly ran up and hugged him as well.

"Thanks for loosening those vines for us!" one of the Panpour said.

"Yeah, that really helped a lot," the other one replied.

"Y-You're welcome…" Blitz responded, somewhat flustered at this.

"Is there anything we can do repay you?" asked the Panpour that had been rescued.

"Oh, um… My friends and I kind of need to get to your village and see the leader of your tribe…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together.

"No problem! We can guide you there!" the Panpour replied. "It's not far from here! So, let's go!"

* * *

The Panpour village had wooden huts similar to the Pansage village in it, with some of them even being placed upon floating platforms on the lake itself. One on the floating platforms on the lake, the tribe leader, resembling a bigger Panpour with dreadlocks, was currently polishing a blade. The Simipour was hoping to find a way to use it to get rid of those vines that was bothering the Pokémon living in the forest.

She soon heard the sounds of a trio of Panpour, as well as three other Pokémon making their way across a bridge leading to the platform she was on.

"Mizu!" one of the Panpour called out. "This rescue team here wishes to speak to you!"

"A rescue team, huh?" Mizu inquired, taking a look at the three Pokémon the Panpour had brought. "Hmm… I see from your badge that you're a bronze rank team?"

"Is that a problem?" Sera asked, sounding a bit annoyed. "I'll have you know we can handle stuff just as well as any other rescue team!"

"Hey, relax," Mizu replied, chuckling. "I'm not saying we don't want your help."

"You know why we're here?" Blitz asked.

"I assume it has something to do with getting rid of that huge plant that has been getting in everyone's way?" Mizu responded.

"That's right!" Chiaki said. "Haru and Kojin sent us to find you!"

"Ah, you've already spoken to the other two tribe leaders?" Mizu asked. "This is sounding promising."

"The main part of the plant is located in the center of the forest," Blitz explained. "Haru thinks we can get rid of it if we can destroy the roots."

"Ooh, sounds good!" Mizu said, holding up the blade she had been polishing. "Sounds like the perfect job for this here!"

Blitz and Sera backed away a little as the Simipour picked up the weapon, while the Panpour just shyly covered their eyes and giggled.

"Is that a sword?" Chiaki asked, curious about the weapon.

"Oh, do you like it?" Mizu responded. "The blade is a Skarmory feather. I got it one day when I was out exploring, and came across a Skarmory who had one its wings stuck under a rock. I felt bad for the metal bird, so I helped him out."

"Ooh, really?" Chiaki asked.

"Yes," Mizu replied, nodding. "One of his feathers came off in the process, though, so he let me keep it as a reward for saving him."

"That's awesome!" Chiaki responded.

"Oh, it was no big deal," Mizu replied. "Anyways, you were saying something about destroying the roots?"

"Yeah," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "On our way into the forest, we discovered that the plants' weakness seems to be ice."

"Is that it?" Mizu asked. "How come I didn't think of _that_? I even know an ice type attack I could've used against it!"

"Well, you can use your ice attack all you want when we destroy that plant!" Sera responded.

"Right," Mizu replied, picking up her Skarmory feather blade. "Let's go!"

* * *

Several minutes later, the rescue team, Mizu and a few of the Panpour finally made it to the center of the forest where Haru, Kojin and a few Pansage and Pansear had already gathered.

"All right, you made it!" Haru said, grinning at the rescue team.

"Hi Mizu!" Kojin said, holding up the spear. "I brought you a new spear!"

"Ooh, that nice spear is for me?" Mizu asked, smiling at the Simisear. "Thank you, Kojin! You always give me the best gifts!"

Kojin smiled and blushed at the Simipour, although the blushing wasn't visible through his fur.

"So, now that everyone is here, it is time to deal with this plant!" Haru said. "We need to destroy the roots, but to do that; we first need to be able to reach the roots, right?"

"Right," Mizu responded. "Better start digging."

And so, the rescue team, the tribe leaders and the Pansage, Pansear and Panpour all began digging near the plant in hopes of reaching down to the roots. However, this task wasn't going to be as simple as they had hoped. While helping the others dig, Blitz suddenly heard a strange sound from somewhere above them. Looking up, he saw that the vines growing out of the top of the strange plant had started moving around, and one of them was about to attack Sera.

"Sera! Watch out!" Blitz shouted, before pushing his teammate out of the way before the vine could strike her.

"Whoa, what was _that_!?" Sera asked, seeing the vine that nearly hit her.

The rest of the Pokémon present had also noticed the moving vines now, and quickly moved out of the way as more of them attempted to strike them.

"Well, this is new," Mizu commented, while slicing off one of the vines with her blade. "Must have realized what we were doing, and is trying to defend itself."

"It can do that!?" Haru exclaimed.

"Apparently," Mizu replied casually, while slicing up more vines, only for more vines to grow back out. "… A little help here would be nice."

"Don't worry, Mizu!" Kojin said, trying to use the spear he had brought for her to cut up some of the vines. "I'll help you!"

"I should help too," Haru commented, looking up at the plant thoughtfully. "But how should I go about it?"

"You said you know a lot of attacks, right?" Chiaki asked. "Surely there must be at least one of those attacks you can use for this?"

"Oh, _of course_!" Haru responded, clenching his fist. "My Shadow Claw attack will surely be able to tear these vines apart!"

A shadowy aura surrounded the Simisage's clenched fist, and Haru then started slashing at the vines with the dark energies surroundings his hands. Working together, the three tribe leaders and the other members of their tribes cut their way through several vines. However, not long after being cut, the vines would grow back out.

"We should help them!" Chiaki said, watching the monkeys try to cut through the vines.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Sera asked. "Those vines just keep growing back out, and Blitz is the only one of us three who actually knows some attacks that would be effective against that thing!"

"If only we could reach the roots…" Blitz said, while rubbing the yellow rings on his forelegs together. "But to get to the roots, we must defeat the plant, and we can't do that unless we get to the roots..."

"So, we need another way to reach the roots…" Chiaki muttered, trying to think of a possible way to get down to the roots. His train of thought didn't get very far before he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to see a certain Elgyem having arrived. "Elina?"

"Elina is here?" Sera asked, tilting her head. "When did she get here?"

Elina looked up at the plant, and the elemental monkeys currently fighting it.

"Did you come all the way out here to help us?" Chiaki asked, putting a paw on Elina's shoulder. "While that's really nice of you, I already told you that you didn't have to go through all this trouble."

"But since you're here, maybe you could help us figure out what to do with that giant plant thing-y?" Sera asked. "We could really use some ideas, here."

Elina touched a hand to her chin in a thoughtful way, while looking up at the plant and trying to think of a way to help the rescue team destroy it. It only took a few seconds before an idea popped into her head. She reached into the bag she had brought along, and pulled out an orb.

"Ooh, what's that?" Chiaki asked, staring curiously at the blue sphere.

"I think it's a Mobile Orb," Blitz said, examining the orb closely. "It allows the user to walk right through walls, like certain ghost type Pokémon are capable of."

"Cool!" Chiaki responded.

"What exactly are we supposed to do with it, though?" Sera asked.

The rescue team glanced over at the battle between the plant and the monkeys, both sides still seeming evenly matched the elemental monkeys tearing the vines of and the plant growing the vines back out.

"Oh, for the love of Virizion!" Haru exclaimed. "What does it take to beat this thing?"

"I don't know," Mizu replied, slicing off another vine and quickly using Ice Beam to freeze the part of the plant before it could grow back to slow it down a bit. "But I hope we think of something before I run out of energy for my Ice Beam attack!"

Elina placed the orb on the ground, pointing to the plant. The rescue team exchanged glances, before Chiaki realized what it was Elina suggesting.

"Oh, you think we can use this orb to get to the roots?" Chiaki asked, to which Elina nodded in response.

"Hey, that's a pretty good idea!" Sera responded, wagging her tail. "Blitz, you ready to destroy those roots?"

"Huh?" Blitz asked. "You want _me_ to use the orb?"

"Didn't you hear me earlier when I said you were the only one who knew an attack that would be effective against this plant?" Sera responded.

"She's right, you know," Chiaki said. "You have to be the one to destroy those roots!"

"I-I don't know if I can…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "And besides, how am I even supposed to get close enough without being attacked by that thing?"

"Leave that to us," Sera said, winking at her teammate. "We'll keep it busy."

Blitz glanced down at the blue orb on the ground in front of him, and then looked up at his two teammates and Elina, as well as the elemental monkeys that were still trying to fight the plant. It looked like the three tribe leaders were starting to get tired, but they weren't going to give up. And if they weren't going to give up, Blitz knew he also had to do what had to be done to destroy the giant plant.

Blitz took a deep breath, before confidently pressing his paw onto the orb, activating it. The orb emitted a light which enveloped Blitz's body, the glow briefly making him look transparent before the light faded.

"Okay, I'm ready," Blitz said, looking up at the plant. "You guys just need to keep it distracted so I can get to it."

"We're on it!" Sera responded, running up the plant along with Chiaki and Elina. "Hey, Haru!"

"What is it?" Haru asked, while still slashing his way through the vines.

"We have a plan for how to get to the roots, but we need to keep the plant distracted," Sera replied. "Can you and the other tribe leaders keep it busy for a little longer?"

"Well, it's certainly not a problem for _me_!" Haru responded, grinning.

"I can keep fighting too," Mizu said, using her Ice Beam to freeze over parts of the plant. "I'm not sure how many Ice Beam attacks I have the energy left for, though."

"I should still have enough energy left to handle this," Kojin said, trying his best to keep up with Haru and Mizu.

"All right, let's do this!" Sera said, as she, Chiaki and Elina joined the monkeys in keeping the plant busy.

The Pokémon dealing with the plant worked together to keep the plant busy fighting them, while trying to make a big enough opening for Blitz to reach the plant. Blitz stayed close to the ground, slowly creeping up on the plant. With the path cleared of vines for him, he pounced at the plant. Thanks to the effects of the Mobile Orb, the young Shinx soon disappeared into the plant.

* * *

Blitz blinked a few times, realizing he was now inside of the plant. Making his body glow so he could see more clearly, he was surprised to see that the plant looked even stranger on the inside than it did on the outside. It vaguely resembled a green tunnel, with an unusual dark energy travelling through plant-like veins.

"What… _is_ this thing?" Blitz said, staring at the strange sight around him. "I better hurry up and get to the roots…"

Blitz looked down at the ground, wondering if he could really get to the roots from there. He had to at least give it a try, and pressed his paw against the ground until it phased right through it. He pulled his paw back, before pressing it against the ground and letting it phase through again. At least now he knew he could indeed go through the floor, but how was he supposed to get his whole body through?

He thought about it for a moment, before an idea popped into his head. He took a few steps back, before jumping and diving right through the ground. Blitz now found himself floating underground, with the plant right above him.

"Whoa…" Blitz said, surprised at finding himself remaining still rather than falling or sinking further down.

Blitz wondered how he was supposed to move further down, and decided to experiment a little by flailing his paws around. Managing accidentally to turn himself upside-down, Blitz slowly started getting an idea about how to move around in his current position. He began moving further down toward the roots, as if swimming. As he made his way down, he briefly spotted something shiny out the corner of his eye. He made his way down to one of the roots, and made his fangs glow with an icy glow before biting down on it…

* * *

Meanwhile, in the forest above, the other Pokémon were still fighting against the plant. Elina was proving to be a good distraction as she was able to float around and hit the vines from a distance with multicolored beams from her eyes. The Psybeam attacks didn't do much to the plant itself, but did keep it distracted so that one of the tribe leaders could jump in and slice the vine off.

"You think Blitz is doing okay?" Chiaki asked, jumping across the vines.

"I hope so…" Sera replied, seeming a bit concerned. "I thought we would've seen some results by now…"

They continued fighting the plant, until the vines on the plant abruptly started breaking off and falling to the ground. It didn't take long for the main part of the plant to begin breaking down as well. The Pokémon that had been climbing or jumping on the vines quickly made their way back to the ground, except Chiaki who lost his balance, but was caught by Elina before he hit the ground.

"It's falling apart!" one of the Pansage shouted.

"The Shinx must've successfully destroyed the roots!" one of the Pansear said, grinning as the main part of the plant collapsed and started dissolving.

"I knew he could do it!" one of the Panpour said, clapping her hands.

A few moments later a blue paw emerged from the ground, reaching for something to grab onto so he could pull himself up. Chiaki and Sera quickly ran over to help their teammate up.

"Blitz, you did it!" Sera said, hugging the Shinx.

"You're so awesome!" Chiaki shouted, joining the hug between his teammates. "What was it like down there, and inside that plant thing?"

"Guys, calm down!" Blitz exclaimed. "I-I only just got back up!"

In the meantime, Elina was hovering above the remains of the plant, and seemed fascinated by something green and sparkly that was sticking out of the ground where the plant had been. The tribe leaders noticed Elina examining the mysterious object, and decided to go investigate.

"What's that?" Kojin asked, tilting his head slightly.

"I don't have a clue," Mizu responded.

"Well, don't just stand there, then!" Haru said. "Let's dig it up!"

The tribe leaders called over the Pansage, Pansear and Panpour, who immediately started digging up the mysterious shiny object. Once they had dug it up, Kojin and Mizu were surprised to see what it was, while Elina seemed delighted.

"Hey, rescue team!" Haru said, motioning for the rescue team to come see what they had found. "I think we just found what you came here for!"

Sera, Blitz and Chiaki walked up, and saw that the elemental monkeys had indeed just dug up the crystal they had come to Harmony Forest to find. Chiaki stared in awe at the green crystal that had lain hidden under the giant plant.

"So, this is… an Axis Tower crystal?" Chiaki asked, reaching out to touch the crystal. As he touched it, he briefly felt an odd sensation of energy flowing through his body, while Elina watched him out of the corner of her eye.

"We did it… We really did it!" Sera exclaimed, ears perking up in excitement. "We really, _really_ did it!"

"Yeah… I guess we did!" Blitz responded, a smile crossing his face.

"Well, on behalf of the Pokémon of Harmony Forest, we would like to thank the four of you for helping us get rid of that plant," Haru said, grinning. "And as promised, we helped you get that crystal you were looking for."

"No problem, Haru," Sera responded, walking up and letting the Simisage shake her paw. "And thanks for all your help, as well, all of you."

"Hey, it was the least we could do," Mizu responded.

"Thanks to you guys, we'll be able to easily get to and from our tribes again," Kojin said, putting his arm around Mizu's shoulders. "And we no longer have to worry about that plant consuming our forest."

"Well, I guess you guys should head back home with that crystal now, and find somewhere safe to put it so it doesn't go missing again before it can be returned to the tower," Haru said.

"Put it somewhere safe, huh?" Sera responded, looking over at her teammates. "You guys got any ideas?"

All three members of the rescue team thought about for a few moments, before Blitz spoke up:

"I think I know of a good place…"

* * *

Sera, Blitz, Chiaki and Elina returned to Fenix Town, Elina deciding to separate from the group before they reached Stella's house. As Elina prepared to leave, Chiaki ran up to her and gave her a hug.

"Thanks for helping us out today," Chiaki said, smiling at the Elgyem. "If you hadn't had a Mobile Orb with you, I'm not sure how we would've destroyed those roots!"

Elina returned the hug, before floating away, waving good-bye at the rescue team as she left. The rescue team then continued on their way to Stella's house.

* * *

Once at Stella's house, the rescue team presented the Gothitelle with the green crystal, and told her the whole story about what had happened at Harmony Forest. Stella just listened to what the three of them had to say with an unreadable look on her face, occasionally asking a few questions.

"We thought you might be the best Pokémon to look after the crystal for us," Sera explained, before giggling a little and wagging her tail. "You should've _seen_ the looks on some of the rescue teams we passed by on the way back to town when they saw us with it!"

"So, that's one of the eight crystals?" Bow asked, staring in awe at the crystal. "It's so pretty…"

"Well, I will certainly make sure the crystal you brought back is kept safe," Stella said, seeming to have something on her mind. "That plant… Is there anything else you can tell me about it?"

"Huh?" Sera responded. "I can't think of anything we haven't already told you… but Blitz _did_ bring back a sample of what was left of it."

"Do you want to take a look at it?" Blitz asked.

"Yes, I would very much like to see it," Stella replied.

Sera found the plant sample in the treasure bag, and gave it to Stella.

"You can keep it if you want…" Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together. "We probably don't have much use for it, anyways…"

"Thank you," Stella responded absent-mindedly, examining the sample.

"Is something wrong?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Oh, nothing you need to be concerned about," Stella responded. "You three should probably head home now, I have work to do."

"… If you say so," Sera replied. "Well, bye for now."

"Bye Stella! Bye Bow!" Chiaki said, waving to the two as he walked out the door.

"See you later," Blitz said, before following his teammates out the door.

Bow felt a bit concerned by the way her mother was acting, and could tell that something was clearly worrying the Gothitelle.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" Bow asked.

"I'm sensing residue of a strange dark power from this sample…" Stella said, using her psychic powers to get a deeper look into the plant sample. "It would take some powerful dark magic to create such a plant with properties like that…"

"What do you mean?" Bow asked, unsure of what her mother was talking about.

"It's almost like… but… that _can't_ be possible…" Stella muttered. "Or…? Could it really be...?"

"What's not possible?" Bow asked. "What do you think it is?"

"… Bow, can you go look for Santos?" Stella said.

"You mean that Delibird that delivers our mail?" Bow asked.

"Yes, I need to have a letter sent to a friend of mine," Stella responded. "And I need to have it done as soon as possible."

"Oh, okay," Bow said, heading outside. "I'll be back as soon as I find him!"

"Thanks, sweetie," Stella responded, smiling at her daughter.

However, the smile faded fast, and Stella quickly used her telekinesis to move the materials she needed to write a letter to her desk. She took a quill in her hand, dipped it in the vial of Octillery ink and started writing out the message to her friend on the paper. She also telekinetically placed the plant sample inside the envelope while still composing the message. She knew her friend was the only one who could confirm her suspicions…

* * *

**End of Chapter 10**


	11. It had to take a lot more than just luck to do what you did!

* * *

Sera smiled as she woke up, still feeling rather proud of herself for helping retrieve one of the missing crystals just yesterday. Her parents and siblings had been pretty surprised to hear of what she had done, and weren't even sure if she was telling the truth until she had let her oldest sister, Amethyst, look into her mind and confirm that she was indeed telling the truth.

The young Eevee happily stepped into the dining room, where her siblings were already eating breakfast.

"Good morning!" Sera said, taking her seat at the table.

"Oh, good morning, Sera," Amethyst responded, telekinetically pouring herself some tea. "Did you sleep well, little sister?"

"Pretty well," Sera replied, happily eating some berries off her plate. "One probably does tend to have a good night's sleep after finding a missing artifact and bringing it back to town."

"Ah, yes," Amethyst said, taking a sip of her tea. "It is really great that one of the crystals has been found, even if there are still seven more out there."

"Yeah," Sera replied, looking around and noticing that their parents weren't present. "Mom and dad already went off to work?"

"Yes, they did," Amethyst responded. "They did tell me to tell you that they're very proud of you before they left, though."

"Really?" Sera asked, wagging her tail. "Well, I suppose that's only natural after finding and bringing back such an important item."

"Oh, _big deal_!" Volt said, with his fur bristling and giving off sparks of electricity. "You and your rescue team just got _lucky_!"

" _Excuse me_?" Sera responded, glaring at her Jolteon brother.

"He _does_ have a point," Sirena commented, waiting for Amethyst to refill her bowl of water. "It was only luck that you were in just the right place at the right time to learn the location of that one crystal."

"Still, we still _did_ retrieve the thing," Sera said, feeling rather annoyed at the Jolteon and Vaporeon's comments. "You can't deny that."

"I got the impression from your story that it was _Blitz_ who did most of the work," the Umbreon responded.

"Yeah, if anything, Blitz deserves most of the credit for being the one to deal with the plant," Volt said, smirking at Sera. "Maybe _he_ should be the rescue team leader instead of you?"

"Do you _really_ want to mess with me?" Sera asked, growling at her brother. "I swear, if I had had a Silence Orb on me right now-"

Before the fight could escalate any further, both Sera and Volt found their ears telekinetically being pulled at by Amethyst.

"Sera, don't threaten to muzzle your brother," Amethyst said, before turning to Volt. "And Volt, stop bothering your little sister."

She then let go of their ears, before refilling Sirena's water bowl a third time.

"Fine, whatever," Volt responded, resuming eating his breakfast.

"Amethyst, _you_ think it's pretty cool that my rescue team found one of the crystals, don't you?" Sera asked, looking over at her oldest sister.

"Well…" Amethyst said, trying to think of how to respond to the question. "There _was_ a certain element of luck involved; I can't really deny that…"

Sera sighed and finished eating her breakfast, before deciding to head out. Surely the other rescue teams would treat her with the respect she deserved. As she prepared to head out, Flare, who had been quietly watching the whole scene during breakfast, walked up to her.

"Heading out, I see," Flare said. "Good luck today, sis."

"Thanks…" Sera replied, looking up at the Flareon.

"Oh and… don't be too disappointed if things don't go your way," Flare said. "Okay?"

"Okay, I guess," Sera responded, unsure what exactly her brother was referring to. "See you later!"

* * *

Sera's mood lightened a bit as she entered the main part of town, feeling that the other rescue teams would probably treat her the way she felt she deserved to be treated. She told herself that her older siblings were probably just jealous, and that she would eventually show them that she was so much more than just their little kid sister. She smiled as she saw her two teammates just ahead.

"Good morning, guys!" Sera said, cheerfully walking up to Blitz and Chiaki.  
"Hi Sera," Blitz responded.

"Sera, look!" Chiaki said, holding up a newspaper. "We're in today's newspaper!"

"Ooh, really?" Sera asked, grinning. "Let me see! Let me see!"

Chiaki laid down the newspaper on the ground, and the three of them all looked at the relevant page while Blitz read the article out loud for them.

" _For the last few days, the rescue teams of Fenix Town have been putting in their best efforts to find and recover the stolen crystals of Axis Tower, but it was not until now that one of the crystals was found by a local bronze rank rescue team, following a tip from Fenix Town's own town oracle. And with a bit of luck, and the help of the local Pansage, Pansear and Panpour tribes, the crystal was retrieved from Harmony Forest, while at the same time also dealing with a mysterious plant that was threatening to destroy the balance of the forest. The origins of the mysterious plant and the location of the other seven crystals remain unknown. The Axis Tower guards will further investigate the case with the help of the local rescue teams. Until then, a big thanks to the bronze rank team that brought the crystal back. Keep up the good work!_ "

"… That's it?" Sera asked, ears drooping down slightly in disappointment.

"What do you mean?" Chiaki responded. "I thought it was a nice article."

"… Never mind," Sera said. "So, what are we doing today?"

"Chiaki and I are heading down to the dojo for some training," Blitz explained. "Chiaki wants to practice his Fake Out attack some more. Do you want to come along as well?"

"… I'll catch up with you guys later, okay?" Sera replied. "I feel like taking a walk around town."

"Um… Sure," Blitz responded. "Let's go, Chiaki, and see you later, Sera."

"Bye, Sera!" Chiaki said, waving to Sera as he and Blitz headed off to the dojo.

Sera waved back, before she started wandering around town. She figured the Pokémon that wrote the article hadn't had all the details when they had to write the story, and did their best with what they had to work with. She wanted to hear what the other rescue teams thought.

There were several rescue teams near the various stalls, some just going about their business, while others were talking about how one of the crystals had been retrieved. Sera smiled and confidently walked up to Mirage and her two teammates, who were depositing some money into their team bank account.

"Oh, hey there, Sera," Megara said as she noticed the Eevee approaching them.

"Hi!" Sera responded, wagging her tail.

"Hello, Sera," Mirage said, smiling at the Eevee. "So, we heard you and your friends brought one of the missing crystals back from Harmony Forest yesterday?"

"We certainly did!" Sera replied, feeling rather proud of herself.

"Well, congratulations on being the first rescue team to get one of those crystals back!" Mirage said. "Not bad for a bronze rank team."

"Why, thank you!" Sera responded, grinning.

"Yeah, didn't expect a rescue team at your rank to beat us to the punch," Megara commented, winking. "You were lucky _this_ time, but next time, _we're_ going to be the ones to get there first!"

"The mushroom would like to point out to Megara that we have just the same chance of finding a crystal as anyone else in town," Cordyceps said. "So the mushroom thinks you shouldn't have too high expectations, because we are very likely to be beaten to the punch again by a different rescue team."

"… You're no fun," Megara responded, crossing her arms.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Sera asked.

"There are other Pokémon saying Cordy is no fun?" Mirage responded, looking a bit puzzled.

"No, I meant the part about our rescue team being lucky," Sera replied. "I mean, it took more than luck to retrieve that crystal."

"Of course it did," Mirage said. "But still, you _did_ have luck on your side, and that's good for you!"

"The mushroom would like to object to the claim of not being any fun," Cordyceps said. "The mushroom can in fact be quite the _fun guy_."

The other three Pokémon stared in complete silence for a few seconds.

"Get it?" Cordyceps asked. "It's funny because it sounds like _fungi_."

"… Let's go find some missions," Megara said.

"Good idea," Mirage responded. "Bye Sera."

"Where are you going?" Cordyceps asked as his two teammates started heading off without him, before crawling after them. "Wait up, the mushroom doesn't want to be left behind."

Sera watched the other rescue team leave, and continued her walk.

"… If having luck with this was a good thing, then why does everyone make it sound like a _bad_ thing?" Sera muttered to herself. "Maybe I'm taking this the wrong way…"

While her annoying siblings had certainly meant it in a bad way, maybe the other rescue teams didn't see it as such.

* * *

At the dojo, Blitz and Hercules watched Chiaki sparring against Lotus, practicing his Fake Out attack. While he was having difficulty catching Lotus off-guard, he seemed to otherwise have gotten the technique right.

"Not bad," Lotus said. "You seem to be more focused than last time you visited here."

"Thanks!" Chiaki replied, trying to charge at Lotus, only for the Meditite to sidestep him.

"Seems Chiaki has his new attack under control," Hercules commented.

"Yeah," Blitz responded. "He figured out how to do it during our last mission."

"Ah, yes," Hercules said. "I heard about how you and your teammates found one of the eight missing crystals in Harmony Forest."

"Oh…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "You heard about that?"

"Yes, I did," Hercules replied. "You know, if I had known all the details about what you were asking about the other night, I probably would've told you not to do it."

"Oh… Is that so?" Blitz asked, looking down at the floor.

Hercules smiled, and gently petted the young Shinx.

"I don't really know if you and your teammates made the right choice," Hercules said, getting Blitz to look up at him. "But hey, you did bring back an important artifact, and that's pretty good."

"Thanks," Blitz responded, smiling at his mentor.

"So, how is Sera today?" Hercules asked. "I noticed she's not here with you and Chiaki."

"I'm not sure," Blitz replied. "It kind of seemed like she had something on her mind, but she didn't seem upset or anything…"

"I guess everyone has those days once in a while," Hercules said.

"I suppose…" Blitz responded, continuing to watch the sparring match between Chiaki and Lotus. "Should I go check on her?"

"For now, I'd say just give her some time to herself," Hercules replied. "If she hadn't wanted some time to herself to think, she probably wouldn't have gone off on her own."

"If you say so…" Blitz replied, rubbing his forelegs together.

"You can talk to her later," Hercules said, smiling at the young Shinx. "For now, how about we do some training?"

"Sure!" Blitz responded, following the Heracross to another part of the dojo, while Chiaki and Lotus was left by themselves to continue their training.

* * *

After walking around town for a bit, Sera had decided to head over to the café for something to drink. On the way there, she had passed by Sting and his rescue team. They did compliment her for having helped bring back a crystal, but they hadn't had the time to talk because they had decided to help the Axis Tower guards with their investigation.

"Hey, Sera!" a familiar voice called out, and Sera turned to see Azure bouncing over to her.

"Oh, hey Azure," Sera responded.

"We read about you and your rescue team did in the newspaper today," Azure said, grinning at Sera. "It's _totally awesome_ that you were able to get that crystal back!"

"Oh, thanks!" Sera replied, smiling at the excited Azurill. "We were pretty lucky with that one."

"It had to take a lot more than just luck to do what you did!" Azure said, bouncing a little.

"I know, right?" Sera responded, sitting down at a table. "For some reason almost everyone seems focused on the luck part, though."

"Let me guess, the grown-ups not giving you the respect you deserve?" Azure asked, sitting down next to Sera. "The grown-ups are always like that, treating us like we're too young to do anything awesome!"

"I guess…" Sera replied, ears drooping down slightly.

"And that's why I've been eating a lot of gummis and drinking juice made from gummis to increase my IQ skill!" Azure said, bouncing happily. "Because the sooner I get that IQ skill up high enough, the sooner I can evolve!"

"You really think evolving will make the adults take you more seriously?" Sera asked.

"Well, I know mom will let me go on adventures on my own when I've evolved!" Azure responded. "What about you? Have you thought about evolving?"

"… Not really," Sera replied. "And in my case, I haven't really thought about _what_ I would want to evolve into."

"Well, if you had to choose right now, what would you become?" Azure asked.

"Hmm… I'm not sure," Sera replied, thinking about it. "Maybe I'd become an Espeon, like my oldest sister Amethyst?"

"Any particular reason why?" Azure asked.

"Well… Amethyst has always been like the perfect sister," Sera explained. "She's my role model."

"Good for you, I guess," Azure responded. "I imagine living up to your sister's perfect image would be pretty difficult, though."

"What about you?" Sera asked. "Do you have any role models?"

"Not really," Azure responded. "I don't need to be anyone else. I'm me, and I'm proud of that!"

Sera couldn't help but smile at Azure's statement, finding it quite admirable. While most adult Pokémon probably thought Azure was perhaps a bit too overconfident, there was still the fact that Azure seemed to have complete faith in herself. Sera thought it had to be nice to have _that_ kind of self-confidence.

"We should go on another adventure together sometime," Sera said.

"Yeah, we should definitely do that!" Azure responded, bouncing excitedly. "If you ever need my help, I'll be there!"

"Thanks, Azure," Sera replied, wagging her tail.

"So, did you come here to get yourself something to drink?" Azure asked.

"Oh, right," Sera responded. "I'd like some Oran berry juice."

"Okay," Azure said. "I'll ask Frederick to get us some juice when he's done serving those customers over there."

The two female Pokémon glanced over at the Deino in question, as he tried to find the customers he was supposed to serve the drinks he was currently carrying on a tray he was holding in his mouth. At the table were the Servine and Minccino rescue team, and this time they had a third team member with them. The new member was a blue Pokémon that appeared to have long ear-like arms and a big smile on its face.

"You're getting warmer," the Servine said, the grass snake trying to help guide the dragon Pokémon. "It's just a little bit further now!"

Frederick nodded his head slightly, only to remember what he was doing and stopping himself before the drinks spilled out.

"Be more careful!" the Minccino said, watching the Deino while dusting off the table with her tail. "If you drop those drinks, I will smack you with my tail!"

"Relax, he's doing fine," the Servine said to the chinchilla Pokémon, trying to calm her.

"Relax? One wrong move and those drinks will spill all over the floor!" the Minccino responded. "There's no way I can just relax in a situation like that!"

At that point, Frederick gently set down the tray of drinks on their table without spilling a single drop.

"Here you go!" Frederick said, giving a friendly smile. "That's one Leppa berry juice, one Rawst and Nanab berry smoothie and one iced Pecha tea!"

"See?" the Servine said, picking up the glass of Leppa berry juice with one of her vines. "I told you there was nothing to be concerned about."

"Well, I suppose there weren't any disasters _this_ time…" the Minccino responded, picking up her smoothie. "Now I just need a straw so I can drink this without worrying about spilling anything all over my fur…"

"I'm on it!" Frederick said, and started making his way back to the counter, while Sera and Azure were still observing him.

"So, how is Frederick doing?" Sera asked. "Is he anywhere close to paying off his debt?"

"I have no idea," Azure responded. "I know he's been doing a good job, but I haven't really been keeping track."

"Oh," Sera replied, scratching behind her ear with one of her hind legs.

"Hey, I just thought of something!" Azure said, bouncing on her tail. "You want the grown-ups to take you seriously, right?"

"Of course I do," Sera replied.

"Well, your team was able to track down one of the crystals, which got you some compliments and stuff," Azure said, smirking. "But to truly prove yourself, you should try to find the other seven crystals as well!"

"Whoa! That's a really great idea!" Sera responded. "How would I pull that off, though?"

"Ask Stella if she has anymore visions of the other crystals, of course!" Azure said. "Oh, and you could help out the Pokémon investigating the case too!"

"I guess," Sera replied, thinking for a moment. "Not sure if I'd be able to get Blitz to go along with that, though."

"You're the team leader, right?" Azure asked. "Your teammates have to do what you want?"

"It's not that simple," Sera responded. "According to other rescue teams, and big sister Amethyst, a good leader needs to listen to and always take their teammates' opinions into consideration."

"Well, if that's what the grown-ups do…" Azure said, balancing on her tail.

"I wonder how those investigations are going," Sera wondered, resting her head on the table, while Azure called Frederick over to take their drink orders. "Wait... Azure, why don't _you_ just go get us some drinks? You help out in the café sometimes too, right?"

"It wouldn't be polite to just leave in the middle of a conversation, would it?" Azure responded, winking at Sera. "So, what were you saying about the investigations?"

* * *

In Harmony Forest, the Mienshao guard from Axis Tower was asking the leaders of the elemental monkey tribes some questions, while a rescue team duo consisting of a large four legged Pokémon seeming to be composed of blue metal and a silver colored X on its face and a yellow humanoid Pokémon with a long mustache and a spoon in each hand were examining the spot where the mysterious plant had been.

"Hmm, very interesting," the Mienshao commented, taking a few notes. "Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions."

"So, do you think this will really help you guys find some clues as to the location of the other crystals?" Mizu asked, while polishing her Skarmory feather sword.

"We hope so," the Mienshao responded. "We haven't yet come across any distortions caused by the crystals' disappearance, but we still need to aim to find those crystals as fast as possible."

"Of course," Kojin replied. "At least there's no reason to panic just yet, since there hasn't been any apparent distortions anywhere yet."

"And you can count on us to help out in any way we can!" Haru said, grinning. "Of course, due to our tribe leader duties, we can't really help much outside of the forest."

"I understand," the Mienshao responded, before turning his attention to the Metagross and the Alakazam duo. "What about you two?"

"There seems to be traces of some kind of dark energy left in this plant," the Alakazam said while focusing psychic energy through his two spoons to analyze the plant. "We haven't been able to identify just what it is, though."

"I don't think we've ever come across anything like this before," the Metagross added. "But it is very likely that this energy is what caused the plant to grow so fast."

"So, we still don't know anything about where it came from, or who planted it here?" Mizu asked.

"I'm afraid not," the Metagross responded. "However, we intend to find out."

"There are many rescue teams helping investigate this case, so one would expect more clues to be found fairly soon," the Alakazam said. "For some reason I get the feeling that we have may have overlooked something…"

"Well, I suppose we should just keep an eye out for anything unusual," the Mienshao suggested.

The Pokémon gathered in the area continued looking for whatever information they could find, before eventually deciding to call it a day. The tribe leaders went back to their tribes, while the Mienshao and the assisting rescue team decided to go find the other guards and rescue teams investigating the case so they could compare notes.

* * *

On her way home, Sera again thought about the idea of evolving. If she became an Espeon, would she be anywhere as amazing as her big sister? She then thought about the other options she had, considering what the benefits of the other possible forms she could take might have.

Umbreon were pretty cool looking, but she wasn't entirely sure what benefits she would want from that form. The first thing that came to mind was to be able to illuminate dark places, and Blitz already had that covered when it came to rescue team missions. The only other thing Sera could really think of that she would consider a benefit was to get to stay up longer at night.

As for Vaporeon, Sera knew that Sirena had some pretty cool abilities that she showed off whenever she wanted to take the attention away from Amethyst. Vaporeon were able to breathe underwater, use several strong water moves and could even make their own bodies melt into water. Sera imagined there had to be some pretty cool ways to travel that way, but also found the idea of being able to change her body like that somewhat scary.

She thought Glaceon were pretty, but hadn't really seen much of what her mother was capable of doing with her ice powers. While freezing stuff was probably a neat power, Sera didn't particularly like the cold. She preferred being warm and fuzzy.

With that in mind, maybe Flareon was a better option? Flare did sometimes let Sera sleep next to him and use his tail as a blanket on cold nights, and that always felt really nice and cozy. Then again, she also didn't like getting _too_ warm.

As for Leafeon and Jolteon, she wasn't too sure she would want to be either of those. Sure, her father could use photosynthesis and use cool grass type attacks, but she couldn't really think of anything she would want to do in that form. And sure, Volt could run pretty fast and zap other Pokémon with lightning, but she just couldn't imagine herself as a Jolteon.

Evolution seemed like something one had to put a lot of thought into, especially as an Eevee. She wondered if her siblings had gone through the same routine when deciding on what they wanted to evolve into back when they were Eevee. For now, she figured it was better not to worry too much about it.

As Sera finally made it home and stepped inside, she noticed Amethyst lying on the floor. From what she could tell, Amethyst looked very tired and almost a little… sad. Sera had never seen her big sister in such a state before.

"Amethyst, is something wrong?" Sera asked.

Amethyst's ears perked up in surprise at Sera's voice, and the Espeon quickly got up. She seemed rather tense as she turned to face her younger sister.

"Oh, Sera," she said, putting on a smile. "I was just… meditating."

"Meditating?" Sera responded, skeptically tilting her head.

"Yes, when I had finished up all the chores, I realized I was ahead of schedule, and I thought I'd meditate a little before mom and dad comes home," Amethyst replied, although Sera noticed that she seemed to be hesitating to make eye contact.

"You didn't look like you were meditating," Sera responded.

"Don't worry about it," Amethyst said, trying to remain calm. "There's nothing to be concerned about."

"Are you sure?" Sera asked. "You don't _sound_ sure."

"I'm sure; there is nothing to be concerned about," Amethyst responded, before hastily leaving the room.

"… What's wrong with her? Why is she lying to me?" Sera wondered out loud, before noticing Flare peeking out from behind another doorway.

"I've seen Amethyst a few times when she thinks no one is watching," Flare said.

"Do you know why she was acting so weird?" Sera asked.

"Well, have you ever thought about how much it must take to be the perfect daughter?" Flare responded. "Or how much effort it must take to maintain that perfect image all the time?"

"I… never really thought about that…" Sera replied, her ears drooping down slightly. "But, why doesn't she just ask for help if that's the case?"

"I guess she's afraid of letting us know how she really feels," Flare responded. "While she may feel overwhelmed by everything that is expected of her, she doesn't want us to worry about her and keeps it to herself."

"Isn't there anything we can do for her?" Sera asked. "It's not right for Amethyst to be so sad!"

"I don't know, Sera," Flare responded, petting the Eevee with his paw. "Maybe the two of us can think of something, but try not to worry about it too much. I have a feeling Amethyst wouldn't want that."

"Okay, I'll try…" Sera said.

"Also, I think Amethyst would probably want you to enjoy being a kid while you can," Flare added. "She probably misses the days where she could just be a kid, and not have to worry about what everyone expected of her."

"Hold on, you're saying Amethyst might be jealous of _me_?" Sera asked, tilting her head.

"Well, it's possible," Flare replied. "I wouldn't know anything for sure, though."

"… I'm going to go to our room," Sera said. "I have some thinking to do."

Sera walked up to the bedroom she and her siblings shared, unsure what to think about everything. She still thought that Amethyst was better than her in many ways, so even if she had a bit too much work on her paws, there was just no way that her big sister could be jealous of her. How else did this possibly affect their relationship? Was it possible that Amethyst didn't want to be Sera's role model? Would Amethyst stop giving her advice?

Sera hoped that wasn't the case. While she would still have other rescue teams to ask for advice, she still wanted to have Amethyst as a role model too.

"Maybe it's enough to just not ask her for advice for a few days…" Sera said to herself. "That at least gives her one less thing to worry about until I can think of something more to do for her…"

Sera thought about what Azure had said at the café earlier, and once again wished she had that kind of confidence that the young Azurill had. She then thought about Azure's suggestion that her rescue team help search for the remaining seven crystals. Technically, they were already involved with the crystal search, even if all they could do was gather information, if anything at all.

After all, with other rescue teams on the case, the odds weren't too good for them to find more of the eight crystals. But who knew? Maybe luck would be on their side again.

* * *

 

**End of Chapter 11**


	12. It doesn't specify what the reward is, but since it's from a queen, I bet it's something good!

* * *

At some point during the night, while the Pokémon of Fenix Town were asleep, a Sigilyph appeared, observing the town from a distance. The Sigilyph snickered to himself, having heard the news about one of the missing crystals having been found by a rescue team.

"So… They found one of the crystals and destroyed that plant, huh?" the Sigilyph said to himself, snickering some more. "Well, I guess that'll just make things more interesting."

The Sigilyph's fork-like wings fluttered as it hovered back and forth while thinking about what exactly he had heard about how the crystal was found.

"Apparently, the town oracle helped that rescue team locate the crystal," the Sigilyph said, thinking for a moment. "Cassandra's great, great granddaughter, I presume."

The Sigilyph snickered some more, his eye flashing with purple light for a moment.

"I should definitely think of a way to punish her…"

The strange bird Pokémon seemed to feel something, as it glanced down at the town below.

"What's this? I feel a familiar presence… Is that little brat that prevented me from getting all eight crystals in this town too?"

The Sigilyph glared at the town below for a moment, before snickering some more.

"Well, I guess I'll also have to think of a way to get back at that one as well for meddling in my plans…"

* * *

The next day, it was raining in Fenix Town. The rain seemed to put the water type Pokémon of town in high spirits, while the fire types weren't as happy. Mirage and her two teammates were at River's café, getting something to drink while reading today's newspaper. Megara was looking out a window with a rather annoyed look on her face.

"Stupid rain…" Megara muttered.

"The mushroom does not mind the rain," Cordyceps said, causing Megara to turn her head to look at him. "Besides, you did bring an umbrella. The mushroom advices you not to set it on fire like you did with the last one."

"As if this cheap thing will protect me from the rain," Megara said, holding up an umbrella made of a stick and some big leaves. "You really should've given me enough money to buy a better one, Mirage!"

"Well, maybe if you were a little better at saving up your share of the money from our missions or you hadn't burned up your last one, you wouldn't have this problem," Mirage replied.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean!?" Megara asked, sounding rather annoyed.

"Whoa, relax," Mirage responded, offering Megara the newspaper. "Here, maybe reading this will help you get your mind off the rain. There are some interesting things here today."

"Have they made any progress with the crystal search?" Megara asked.

"Not much," Mirage replied. "But check this out; it's an article about a Salamence that was raised by Purrloin."

"How is that supposed to get me in a better mood?" Megara asked, as Sera, Blitz and Chiaki stepped inside the café. "Oh, look. More rescue teams trying to escape the rain."

"Hi," Sera said, as she shook the rain water out of her wet fur.

"Hey, don't do that!" Megara shouted. "You'll get water all over the place!"

"Sorry," Sera replied, her fur having puffed up from being shaken dry. "I guess another advantage to being a Vaporeon would be that you never have to worry about wet fur."

"You look even fluffier than usual now!" Chiaki commented, chuckling a bit.

"I hope it doesn't rain for too long," Blitz said, glancing at the rain outside. "We should be trying to get some missions done today."

"Hey, at least it's just a little rain," Mirage responded, showing the younger rescue team the newspaper. "According to this, there have been some very harsh sandstorms over in Clarion Desert for several days now."

"Is that so?" Megara asked in a somewhat bored tone.

"Yeah," Mirage replied, pointing to the article. "Says here the sandstorms are so rough, that it's pretty much impossible to get through them."

"Meh, they'll have to stop eventually," Megara responded, resting her head on her arms.

"Mirage has a point, the weather could've been much worse," Sera commented, glancing over at Blitz. "So why should we let this rain delay us?"

"Yeah, it's not even raining that much!" Azure said, having overheard the conversation.

"I guess if none of us minds getting our fur wet…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "Then there's no reason we can't head out right away."

"Well, what are we waiting for, then?" Sera said, grinning. "Let's go!"

"Ooh, can I come too?" Azure asked, bouncing over to the rescue team. "The rain has put me in an adventuring mood!"

"But Azure, you promised to help out in the café today," River said, looking over at her daughter. "Did you forget about that?"

"Oh, I'll come back and help out later!" Azure responded. " _Please_ let me go adventuring with Sera and her team!"

"I probably shouldn't be encouraging this," River replied, sighing. "But, okay. I'll let you go."

"Thank you!" Azure responded, happily bouncing on her tail.

"Well, let's go!" Sera said, and so the four Pokémon headed out.

"Azure sure takes after her father," River commented, as she resumed her work.

Mirage glanced out the window as Sera, Blitz, Chiaki and Azure were starting to head over to the rescue team HQ, before turning back to her teammates.

"Come on, Megara," she said, looking over at the still annoyed Magmar. "Surely we shouldn't let the rain stop us from getting our job done? Let's follow that other rescue team's example, and head out!"

"No," Megara responded.

"But odds are that it's not even raining inside the mystery dungeons!"

"The answer is still no."

* * *

At the rescue team HQ, Sera, Blitz, Chiaki and Azure began checking out the available missions on the boards. However, while the rescue team considered several of the missions, Azure didn't seem particularly interested in any of them and instead wandered over to the board with the outlaw missions.

"Hmm… I bet we could easily beat one of these guys," Azure commented while looking over the wanted posters.

"Azure, I don't think your mother would approve of us taking you on _that_ kind of mission," Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together nervously. "Plus, this rescue team has only done one outlaw mission, and the outlaw in question wasn't even really an outlaw!"

"Then isn't it about time you guys go on another one of these missions?" Azure asked, winking at the three.

"When she says it like that, it _does_ seem like a good point," Chiaki cheerfully replied.

"I guess we can take a look at the missions, at least," Sera said, and walked up to Azure along with Chiaki.

"Oh, o-okay…" Blitz said, walking over to the others. "But if you have to do an outlaw mission, at least pick one that doesn't look too strong…"

"What about that one at the top right corner?" Azure asked, glancing up at a wanted poster depicting a Pokémon resembling a large purple scorpion. "He doesn't look too tough."

"You mean that Drapion up there!?" Blitz responded, seeming rather intimidated by the appearance of the scorpion outlaw. "We can't fight that!"

"You're really scared of him?" Azure asked, glancing up at the wanted poster with a confident smirk. "He's just a big purple accordion! There's nothing to be afraid of!"

"Azure, I think Blitz is right," Sera responded, reading the mission rank on the poster. "This guy is _way_ too tough for a Bronze rank team like us."

"Oh, fine," Azure replied. "But I still think we could've taken him."

"What about this one?" Chiaki asked, pointing to a mission on the lower left corner of the board. "Apparently someone called Queen Miele from a place called Nectar Woods needs help dealing with some honey thieves!"

"Isn't Nectar Woods where the honey we use at the café is from?" Azure said, looking over at the mission. "This queen must be the one in charge of the Combee that makes that honey."

"This mission looks good to me," Sera commented, looking over the mission. "It doesn't specify what the reward is, but since it's from a queen, I bet it's something good!"

"I guess this mission doesn't look _too_ difficult for a rescue team at our level…" Blitz said.

"So, we're all in!" Azure shouted, bouncing happily. "Let's go, everyone!"

And so the four Pokémon headed into Kala's room to teleport over to Nectar Woods, as a certain Beedrill who had been waiting for one of his teammates outside nurse Giselle's office glanced over at them, having overheard part of their conversation.

"Queen Miele?" Sting said to himself, glancing down and twiddling the stingers on his arms. "I wonder how she's been…"

* * *

In a flash of light, the four Pokémon appeared in Nectar Woods. According to the map, it was smaller than some of the other forests they had explored and it was mostly populated by bug type Pokémon. Some spider webs were visible in trees, which had a lot of berries growing on them as well. Some of the trees also had sap leaking out of them, which several of the bug Pokémon probably enjoyed.

"Whoa, this place is pretty!" Chiaki exclaimed, grinning.

"So, where do we begin?" Sera asked, looking around.

"I guess we should find that Vespiquen…" Blitz said, glancing around.

"Oh, right!" Sera responded.

"Where do we find her, though?" Azure asked, standing on top of the ball at the tip of her tail, looking around.

"Maybe we can ask them?" Chiaki said, pointing to some green spider Pokémon that were busy making a new web. "Hello, Spinarak?"

"What do you want?" one of the Spinarak asked. "Can't you see we're busy?"

"We are trying to make this new design more fabulous than any spider web you've ever seen!" one of the other Spinarak said, crawling around the web. "This'll _certainly_ show those Joltik who makes the best spider webs around here!"

"Oh, okay," Chiaki responded, giving the spider Pokémon a friendly smile. "Good luck!"

"I wonder if there's anyone else we can ask…" Blitz wondered out loud, before picking up on a sound which seemed to be getting closer to them. "Uh, guys? Do any of you hear a buzzing sound?"

The other three glanced around, before two Beedrill appeared and hovered over to them. Both Beedrill were wearing hats made from leaves with holes for their antennae to stick out, and matching shawls. Chiaki couldn't help but stare at the hats, and quietly thought about how he wanted to try on one of those hats.

"Oh, hello," Sera said, looking up at the two Beedrill. "May I help you?"

"We are royal guard Beedrill working for Queen Miele," one of the two Beedrill said, curiously examining the four Pokémon. "Are you a rescue team?"

"Oh, yes we are!" Sera responded. "We saw the mission your queen sent, and came to help deal with the honey thieves!"

"Excellent," the Beedrill said. "Follow us; we'll escort you to her."

* * *

The two royal guard Beedrill lead the rescue team to a large tree with an opening in it. Inside was the honeycomb where Queen Miele and many Combee lived. The rescue team could see many of the Combee flying around, the wings on each side of their honeycomb-like bodies giving off a buzzing sound as they fluttered. Each was focused on the tasks they had been assigned, and so they didn't pay much attention to the visitors.

"Whoa, this place is awesome!" Chiaki said, grinning as he stared in awe.

A slightly different buzzing sound was heard, as a large queen bee with a dress-like body, including a honeycomb-shaped skirt around her abdomen.

"You must be the rescue team that accepted the mission I sent out," the Vespiquen said, looking at them with her red eyes. "I am Queen Miele; it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Hi!" Chiaki responded, happily waving at the Vespiquen. "I'm Chiaki!"

"H-Hi…" Sera said, nervously smiling. "My name is Serafina, but most people just call me Sera…"

"It is an honor to meet you," Blitz said, bowing down to the Vespiquen. "I am Blitz."

"And I'm Azure," Azure said, glancing around. "So, um… You're like, the queen of this forest?"

"Why, yes," Queen Miele responded, nodding her head slightly. "While my main duty is to lead the Combee, I also try to find ways to make sure the Pokémon of Nectar Woods are happy."

"It is admirable that you care for the wellbeing of all Pokémon in your territory," Blitz said, still bowing down to the Vespiquen. "I bet your pride, I mean, swarm, all look up to you."

"Why, thank you for the compliment!" Queen Miele responded, seeming flattered. "And yes, I can tell through the hive mind I've formed with the Combee that they love me very much."

"Hive mind?" Sera inquired. "As in, you're connected to and can control what they think?"

"Not exactly," Queen Miele responded. "Yes, we are connected, but I wouldn't go as far as to decide for them what they should think and feel. They're all individuals, after all."

"Yes! We are all individuals!" replied every single Combee in the hive in unison.

"Plus, it has some advantages, such as being able to receive information faster," Queen Miele explained. "In fact one of the Combee has identified one of the honey thieves as a Butterfree, a female one judging by the black spots on the lower part of its wings."

"So, we need to keep an eye out for a female Butterfree?" Sera asked.

"Yes," Queen Miele responded. "She was pretty fast too, as she managed to flee before any of the Combee could stop her."

"Okay, we'll keep that in mind," Sera replied. "Shame we didn't bring any Quick Orbs or anything for this, though…"

"Well, at least we now have at least one lead to go on," Azure commented, bouncing a little.

"There's a mystery dungeon in this forest, right?" Blitz asked, looking up at the queen.

"Why, yes," Queen Miele responded. "It is not far from here, actually."

"Okay, we'll go investigate there," Blitz replied, looking over at this teammates. "Odds are the Butterfree and anyone working with her are hiding somewhere within."

* * *

The four Pokémon walked up to the entrance of the dungeon, where they believed the honey thieves might be hiding. After quickly checking their inventory, they headed inside the mystery dungeon. A maze of berry trees appeared before them, Chiaki staring in awe at the different colors of the leaves of the different types of berry tree.

"So, how far into the dungeon do you think these guys went?" Azure asked, balancing on one foot on top of her tail.

"I'd assume we'll find them at the very end of the dungeon," Sera responded, glancing over at Blitz to make sure they were following the same line of thought. "Don't you think?"

"Yeah, most likely," Blitz replied.

"All right," Sera said, looking around to see which path to follow. "Let's get going, then!"

Sera began walking down on of the paths, followed by Blitz, Chiaki and Azure. The dungeon was at ten floors, and mostly inhabited by bug type Pokémon. There seemed to be more berries than usual to be found on the ground within the dungeon, possibly due to the presence of the berry trees.

"So, what kind of Pokémon do you think is working with the Butterfree?" Azure asked, looking around for wild Pokémon to fight.

"Pokémon that like honey, I guess," Sera responded, sniffing the air.

"Teddiursa like honey," Blitz said, glancing around. "Another bug or a grass type Pokémon may also be involved."

"I like this place," Chiaki commented. "It's so pretty!"

"Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen this many different berry trees in one place," Azure said, looking around. "I wonder if the café has berries imported from here too."

"I'm not sure if there's enough space in our treasure bag to gather all these berries," Sera commented, checking the current contents of the bag.

"Guess we'll just do this, then!" Chiaki said, picking up a Pecha berry from the ground and popping it into his mouth.

"Or we can just leave them there on the ground," Sera responded, giggling a little. "But your method works too."

* * *

The four Pokémon made their way through the dungeon, exploring, fighting some bug Pokémon along the way and so on, until they finally reached the stairs leading up to the final floor. So far, they hadn't seen any signs of the honey thieves. Blitz just hoped that his feeling about the thieves hiding out at the end of the dungeon was correct, or else they'd have gone all that way for nothing. As he followed behind Sera as she walked up the stairs, Blitz thought he could faintly hear some voices coming from the floor above.

"Anyone else hear that?" Blitz asked, looking around as they walked up to the floor at the end of the dungeon.

"Yeah, I do," Sera responded. "Think it's the honey thieves?"

"Let's find out," Blitz said, slowly starting to make his way down the path. "The voices seem to be coming from further in."

The rescue team and Azure quietly moved ahead, hoping the honey thieves wouldn't hear them and run away. They soon spotted the white butterfly wings of a Butterfree, with black spots on the lower wings as Queen Miele described. There were two other Pokémon with her; a light brown bear cub with a crescent shaped spot on its forehead and a Pokémon with pink cherry blossom petals seeming to form a dress covering its body and five cherry blossom petals on its head.

"This honey is really great!" the Teddiursa said, happily licking some honey of his paws.

"Won't we get in trouble with the queen for taking honey without permission?" the Cherrim asked, sipping some honey.

"Relax, there's plenty of honey there," the Butterfree responded. "Besides, we won't get in trouble if we don't get caught."

"That's what you think!" Azure shouted, getting the attention of the three honey thieves.

"Azure, what are you doing?" Blitz asked, looking a bit startled. "We were trying to sneak up on them!"

"… Okay, _now_ we're in trouble," the Butterfree said.

"A rescue team!" the Cherrim exclaimed, looking rather frightened. "Oh, this can't end well!"

"Now, let's not panic…" the Butterfree responded, trying to think of a solution. "They don't look too tough… We could probably beat them in a battle."

"A battle?" the Teddiursa asked, exchanging concerned glances with the Cherrim.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" the Cherrim asked.

"We accept your challenge!" Azure shouted, pounding her tail against the ground. "You are going down!"

"Azure, you're not really a member of our rescue team, so you shouldn't really be the one accepting challenges on our behalf…" Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Well, if we're going to fight, let's get ready!" Sera shouted, while using her Helping Hand move to power up her teammates.

"So, you're powering up?" the Cherrim asked, smirking. "Well, two can play at that game!"

The Cherrim twirled around, a ball of light forming between her hands. She spun around once more before releasing the ball of light and letting it fly up into the air. The sun's rays intensified, making the petals on the Cherrim's body glow with a soft pink glow.

"So, your Flower Gift ability is giving us a power boost now?" the Butterfree asked.

"Yes," the Cherrim responded. "Want me to add my own Helping Hand to that?"

"Nah, I don't think that'll be necessary," the Butterfree replied, while dodging a spray of bubbles aimed at her by Azure.

"Fury Swipes!" the Teddiursa shouted, charging at Azure and attempting to strike her with his paws. However, Azure simply swung her tail around and knocked the Teddiursa aside.

"You know, saying what attacks you're going to use out loud kind of makes it easier for the opponent to avoid it," Azure commented, looking unimpressed.

"Well, you can't dodge this!" the Cherrim shouted, twirling around and sending several glowing multicolored leaves flying at Azure.

Azure attempted to bounce away from the leaves, but found that the leaves kept following her. Quickly figuring out that she couldn't avoid the Cherrim's Magical Leaf attack, Azure settled for swinging the ball on her tail into the path of the attack and letting it take the hit so she'd at least take as little damage from the attack as possible.

The Teddiursa had gotten back on his feet, and was now fighting against Chiaki. While Chiaki seemed to be able to dodge the Teddiursa's attacks without much difficulty, the Teddiursa wasn't as good at paying attention to the opponent's movements.

Sera and Blitz were charging at the Butterfree, hoping to hit her with their combined attacks, but the butterfly Pokémon simply moved out of the way. Sera and Blitz made another attempt, but the Butterfree dodged their attack again.

"She really is fast…" Sera commented, looking over at Blitz. "What do we do?"

"Hmm… I'll try to think of something," Blitz responded. "For now, let's focus on the other two."

The Cherrim continued using her Magical Leaf attack on her opponents, not doing much else. Since it was an attack that would always hit opponents and she could keep using it from a distance, why use anything else? That way, her opponents that seemed to mostly rely on physical attacks that required them to get up close to attack couldn't reach her. It certainly seemed like a good idea to her.

The Teddiursa wasn't having as much luck as his teammates, as he himself only knew attacks that he had to get up close to use. The Teddiursa nervously took a few steps back from Chiaki, unsure of what to do. Before he could decide on his next move, Azure slammed her tail against him with enough force to send him flying through the air for a few moments.

"Ah, I give up!" the Teddiursa shouted as he hit the ground, whimpering a little as he looked up at the rescue team. "I won't steal honey anymore! Tell the queen I'm sorry!"

"Well, that's one down," Azure said, using her tail to take another Magical Leaf attack from the Cherrim. "We've still got to do something about those other two, though."

Blitz and Sera ran as a Magical Leaf attack followed them, trying to figure out how to get the Cherrim to stop her attacks so they could get close enough to fight back.

"Blitz, can't you use your Ice or Fire Fang attacks against her?" Sera asked.

"You know I can't do that," Blitz responded, charging up electricity to power up his electricity and build up his special defense against the Cherrim's and Butterfree's attacks.

"Not even just this once?" Sera asked, nervously glancing at the glowing leaves following them.

Seeing as the two were too occupied running from the Magical Leaf attack while they at the same time were having a conversation, the Butterfree decided to take this opportunity to whip up a gust of wind by flapping her wings hard enough. The wind attack quickly tripped up Sera and Blitz, and allowed the Magical Leaf attack from the Cherrim to connect.

"Oh, you're not getting away with that!" Azure shouted as she and Chiaki charged at the Butterfree, but the butterfly Pokémon simply turned around and whipped up another Gust to slow them down.

"Sera, you okay?" Blitz asked, looking over at his teammate as he got back onto his feet.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Sera responded, getting up and shaking some dust out of her fur. "Blitz, if you won't use your Ice or Fire Fang to directly attack, can't you use it some _other_ way? They're our only moves that will be super effective against that Cherrim, you know."

"Use them some other way…?" Blitz replied, taking a moment to think about it.

Chiaki and Azure did their best to guard against the Magical Leaf and Gust attacks thrown at them. While the Magical Leaf didn't bother him too much, the Gust attacks were quickly wearing Chiaki out as the flying attacks were super effective against him.

"You'd better think of something fast," Sera said, watching their teammates. "I'm not sure how long Chiaki can stand up against those Gust attacks."

"I think I have an idea…" Blitz responded, looking around for something. "I just have to find something I can use…"

Blitz glanced around, until he spotted a branch with a few dead leaves still on it lying on the ground. He quickly ran over to and picked up the branch with his mouth, and began moving towards the Cherrim, waiting for just the right moment to make his move.

The Cherrim continued throwing her Magical Leaf attack around; until Chiaki realized that he _did_ have a way of dodging her attacks, and caught the Cherrim off-guard by using Detect to successfully avoid the glowing leaves. Blitz took this opportunity to use Fire Fang to set the branch he was holding on fire, and fling it at the Cherrim, making sure it would land where there weren't anything the fire could spread through around it.

The Cherrim gave a startled yell, and tried to back away from the branch, at which point she got hit by Chiaki's Fake Out attack, followed by Azure using Slam to send her flying in the direction of Blitz and Sera, so they could follow it up with their combined Tackle attacks.

"Okay, I give up…" the Cherrim said, dazed from all the attacks she had just taken.

With the Cherrim and Teddiursa having surrendered, there was now just the Butterfree left to deal with. While she was still faster than the four of them, the butterfly Pokémon was starting to look rather nervous, realizing her opponents had the upper hand now. However, she quickly regained her composure.

"Perhaps I underestimated you…" the Butterfree said, before flapping her wings fast enough to blow her opponents away. "But you still won't be able to catch me!"

As the Whirlwind attack pushed the rescue team back quite a bit, the Butterfree attempted to flee, flying towards the nearest exit to the mystery dungeon. Once the winds calmed down, the rescue team chased after the Butterfree. The Butterfree made it out of the dungeon with the rescue team still in pursuit, but she was feeling pretty certain that she would be able to escape them now, as she still had a good lead.

She glanced back for just a moment to make sure they were too far behind to catch up, only to suddenly find herself colliding with and getting stuck in a large spider web.

"Hey! What was that just now?" a tiny yellow spider Pokémon said, feeling the spider web it was working on with the other Joltik shaking. "Is someone messing with our art?"

"Strange, some Butterfree appears to have gotten stuck in our web," another Joltik said, watching the struggling butterfly Pokémon with its four blue eyes.

"Well, she's not part of our masterpiece; get her out she breaks it!" one of the other Joltik shouted.

With that, several of the Joltik crawled on over and surrounded the Butterfree trapped at the center of the web, before hitting the strings of the web with a bolt of electricity, zapping the trapped butterfly Pokémon for super effective damage. The Butterfree was knocked out by the attack, her wings twitching slightly from the electricity. The Joltik then carefully made it so she'd fall out of the web without damaging their work of art.

The rescue team was quick to pick up the unconscious butterfly Pokémon as she hit the ground, and the Joltik resumed working on the spider web, talking about how their newest design would surely beat whatever the Spinarak were going to come up with and prove once and for all that the Joltik were the greatest artists in Nectar Woods.

"Well, guess that's mission accomplished!" Sera said, wagging her tail happily. "Let's take the honey thieves back to the queen."

"Thanks, Joltik!" Chiaki said, cheerfully waving at the Joltik as he helped his teammates carry the unconscious Butterfree away.

The Joltik didn't seem to hear Chiaki, nor did they care what he had to say as they were all too focused on making their spider web the most fabulous spider web in the forest.

* * *

The rescue team brought the honey thieves back to the honeycomb, where Queen Miele gave the honey thieves a chance to explain themselves, before taking a few moments to try to think of a punishment for them. After discussing it with some Combee, she finally thought of something.

"I want the three of you to gather some flowers for us," Queen Miele said, while motioning for a Combee to bring her something.

"Is that it?" the Butterfree asked, tilting her head slightly. "That doesn't sound too difficult."

"However, the flowers we want you to get for us are ones not normally found in Nectar Woods," Queen Miele responded, as the Combee returned with some paper and something she could write with. "I'll give you a list of which flowers we want, and where they can be found."

Queen Miele quietly wrote something down, before handing the directions to the Teddiursa, who held it up for his teammates to see.

"Some of the names of the places these flowers can be found sound kind of scary…" the Cherrim commented. "And what is this about a Venusaur?"

"Oh, there's a kind of old and grumpy Venusaur in one of the areas that doesn't particularly like sharing the flowers in that meadow with others," Queen Miele explained, to which the honey thieves exchanged concerned glances. "… Good luck with that!"

"… Well, let's get going," the Butterfree said to her teammates, and so the three headed out.

"You sure I didn't go too hard on them?" Queen Miele asked one of the Combee. "Should we ask some of the royal guard Beedrill to follow them and make sure they don't get into too much trouble?"

"They'll probably do fine!" Chiaki said with a cheerful smile. "They were pretty tough to beat during the battle we had earlier!"

"If you say so," Queen Miele responded, giving Chiaki a friendly look. "Anyways, I would like to thank the four of you for dealing with my problem, and for your reward, you will each receive a week's supply of honey!"

"Uh, thanks…" Sera responded, seeming a bit unsure what exactly she would do with this reward.

"Ooh, I bet Hercules would like that," Blitz commented. "I should share that with him."

"We can probably use this at the café!" Azure said, bouncing a little.

While Chiaki tried to think of something fun he could do with a week's supply of honey, a familiar buzzing sound suddenly caught his attention.

"Queen, there's a visitor here for you," one of the royal guard Beedrill said, as a certain other Beedrill stepped forward.

"Sting, is that you?" Miele asked, seeming pleasantly surprised.

"Hi," Sting responded, shyly twiddling the stingers on his arms. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Huh? You two know each other?" Sera asked, looking back and forth between the queen and the rescue team leader.

"I grew up here in Nectar Woods," Sting explained. "Miele and I were really good friends when we were younger."

"Wow, never knew you were friends with royalty," Sera commented. "I'm impressed."

"Oh, it's no big deal…" Sting responded, still twiddling his stingers. "So, you helped Miele out with a problem today?"

"We certainly did!" Sera replied, wagging her tail happily. "But, I guess it's time the four of us head back to town. Plus, that way you and Miele can talk privately."

"Uh, thanks…" Sting responded, watching as the rescue team began heading out.

"Have fun!" Azure said, turning back and winking at the Beedrill, before bouncing after the rescue team.

"What was that all about…?" Sting muttered, seeming a bit embarrassed. Queen Miele seemed mildly amused, though.

"I'll ask the Combee to prepare some pollen punch for us," Miele said, flying over to Sting and carefully held the stingers on his arms. "And perhaps you could tell me about your experiences as the leader of a rescue team?"

"Oh, sure," Sting replied, buzzing happily. "I'd like that."

* * *

As Sera, Blitz, Chiaki and Azure began heading back to town, some royal guard Beedrill following behind to help carry the honey Queen Miele had rewarded them with, they came across the artistic Spinarak once more. The Spinarak seemed rather frustrated about something.

"It's no use, it won't stick!" one of the Spinarak shouted. "We can't complete our design like this!"

"Let's move to another part of the forest and start over!" one of the other Spinarak replied.

"We can't just do that!" another Spinarak shouted. "There's no way we'll find another location ideal for our design at such short notice!"

"Do we come up with another design?" another Spinarak asked uncertainly.

"Um, excuse me?" Sera said, getting the Spinarak's attention. "What's going on here?"

"We can't finish our design because that branch up there won't co-operate with us!" a Spinarak explained, glancing towards the branch in question.

Sera, Blitz, Chiaki and Azure looked up at the branch, and were shocked to see that part of the branch seemed to be rapidly flickering in and out of existence.

"What is that? Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"I think we might be looking at a distortion caused by the crystals' absence at Axis Tower…" Blitz responded, shivering a little.

"That can't be good…" Sera commented, her ears drooping down a bit. "I hope those other crystals are found soon…"

* * *

After the rescue team made their way back to town and went home for the evening, Sting still remained at the honeycomb, telling Miele about the missions he and his teammates had been on during the past few months.

"... And that's when Melody had the idea of basically turning herself into an improvised raft by inflating herself and letting the kids ride her down the river, while Frosty and I followed behind and helped keep the wild Pokémon chasing after us away from them," Sting explained.

"My, it sounds like you have a lot of exciting adventures, don't you?" Miele asked.

"Yeah," Sting responded. "It comes with being a rescue team leader."

"And you get to help so many Pokémon," Miele said, gazing into Sting's eyes. "It is nice to hear that you've been doing so well in Fenix Town."

"Thanks," Sting responded, meeting her gaze. "I'm glad to see that you're doing well too."

"Hey, Sting? Do you ever think about that offer I once gave you?" Miele asked. "You know, about becoming one of my royal guards?"

"Oh, well… Kind of," Sting responded, twiddling the stingers on his arms.

"But I assume you haven't changed your mind?" Miele asked, placing her hand on his arm-stinger.

"Yeah," Sting responded. "While you may belong here in Nectar Woods, I have found my place in Fenix Town, as a rescue team leader."

"I understand," Miele replied, nodding slightly. "I just miss you, you know. You were my first true friend, after all."

"I've missed you too," Sting said. "I remember the time I was a Kakuna, waiting to evolve and emerge a Beedrill. Even though you had to learn many things in preparation of your own evolution and coronation, you still took the time to come see me whenever you could."

"Of course I did," Miele replied. "No one else understood me the way you did."

The two bug Pokémon gazed fondly into each other's eyes for a moment, before looking away, noticing it was getting dark outside.

"It's getting late," Miele said, letting go of the stinger on Sting's arm. "You should probably be heading back to town, right?"

"Yeah…" Sting responded, getting up. "It was nice to see you again."

"We should do this again sometime soon," Miele replied. "I'd love to hear more about your adventures with your rescue team."

"Oh, sure," Sting said, buzzing happily. "Maybe next time, I'll bring my teammates so you can meet them."

"That would be nice," Miele responded. "I'll look forward to it."

"All right, then," Sting said, heading outside. "Until then, take care."

Sting began flying back to town, looking down at the forest below as he did so. Once it was out of sight, he started flying a little faster. He figured he would go to bed early this night, so he would have energy for whatever missions were waiting for him tomorrow. Perhaps he would even have a good story to tell the next time he saw Miele from whatever adventures awaited him and his teammates tomorrow?

* * *

Chiaki lay awake in bed and wasn't able to sleep until late that night, as he kept thinking about what was happening. Was everything going to vanish if the crystals weren't returned to their rightful place in time? One crystal had already been found, so surely the other crystals would be found in time? While he was pretty certain that things would work out, it still made him feel uneasy for some reason…

* * *

**End of Chapter 12**


	13. We overheard you saying something about a Desert Spirit?

* * *

In Axis Tower, a vaguely star-shaped pink Pokémon with long ears and small fairy-like wings was looking after one of the other guards, a brown Pokémon with a big head and his body somewhat resembling a coat. He had been asleep since the mysterious attack the night the crystals were stolen, and the Clefable had volunteered to stay behind at the tower and look after the Beheeyem while the guards went out to search for the crystals. It seemed like the Beheeyem had been drained of his psychic energy, and therefore had to rest to fully recover.

The Clefable looked out through the window, seeing that the morning sun was shining brightly outside. She wondered when she and the Beheeyem would join the other guards in their search. Of course, once the Beheeyem woke up, she knew he would first need to find something else that was much more important to him than the crystals.

"I wonder how the search is going?" the Clefable wondered out loud. "Oh Cresselia, please let this be a good day for them."

 _"Cosmo, not to criticize, but wouldn't it make more sense to pray to the legendary Pokémon representing the crescent moon and sweet dreams during nighttime?"_ a voice said to the Clefable through telepathy.

The Clefable turned to the Beheeyem, who had now opened his green eyes and was slowly getting up.

"Eltanin, you're finally awake!" the Clefable said; glad to see the Beheeyem had recovered.

 _"Yes, I seem to have finally regained my strength,"_ the Beheeyem responded through telepathy while rubbing his head. _"That Sigilyph sure was an unusual opponent…"_

"Wait, you saw the thief?" Cosmo asked.

 _"Yes, but I have more important matters to tend to at the moment,"_ Eltanin responded, beginning to move towards the stairs.

"You're heading out?" Cosmo asked, looking a bit concerned. "You just woke up, so maybe you should take it easy…"

 _"I appreciate your concern, but I must go,"_ Eltanin responded. _"Even while I was asleep, I managed to use what little power I had to telepathically keep track of what was happening around me."_

"Ah, I see…" Cosmo replied. "So, then you already know…"

 _"Yes,"_ Eltanin responded, Cosmo didn't even need to finish her question. _"And then you probably understand why I must get going as soon as possible."_

"Of course," Cosmo said. "We've all been very concerned, so I hope you find her quickly."

 _"I will,"_ Eltanin responded, nodding his head. _"Now that my powers have fully returned, I should be able to find her without too much difficulty."_

* * *

In Fenix Town, rescue teams were making their preparations for missions as usual. Sera was depositing some items at Lionel's warehouse to make room for more items, since they had picked up quite a few berries during their mission in Nectar Woods yesterday. Shortly after finishing up at the warehouse, Sera met with her two teammates.

"Good morning, Sera," Blitz said.

"Oh, hi," Sera responded, happily wagging her tail as her teammates walked up to her. "I've already made some preparations, so let's go find ourselves a mission!"

The rescue team began making their way towards the rescue team HQ; however, on the way there they spotted Mirage and her teammates talking to Stella.

"So, you're sure about this?" Mirage asked, sounding rather interested in whatever she was discussing with Stella.

"Yes," Stella responded. "The vision was rather fuzzy, but I am certain of what I was able to gather from it."

"All right," Mirage replied, turning to her teammates. "We're going to Clarion Desert!"

"Why?" Chiaki asked, walking up to them with his usual cheery smile.

"Because Stella just informed us that one of the missing crystals from Axis Tower is currently somewhere within the aforementioned desert," Cordyceps responded.

"Cordy! Why'd you tell them that?" Megara asked.

"The mushroom was not aware it was supposed to be a secret," Cordyceps replied.

"So, one of the crystals is in Clarion Desert?" Sera asked just to make sure she had heard correctly.

"Indeed," Mirage replied, smirking at Sera. "And now I'm guessing you and your teammates are planning on heading there to search for it as well?"

"You bet we are!" Sera responded.

"We are?" Blitz asked, glancing around nervously.

"Well, then, let's all head over to the rescue team HQ," Mirage said, grinning. "We'll see which team finds that crystal first!"

The two rescue teams began running in the direction of the rescue team HQ, catching the attention of Sting and his teammates on the way.

"Hey, what's the rush?" Melody asked.

"One of the missing crystals is in Clarion Desert!" Chiaki explained. "We're going to go find it!"

"Oh, is that so?" Melody responded, looking over at her teammates. "Should we get in on this too?"

"I'm up for it," Frosty replied, looking over at Sting expectantly.

"Well, I suppose they could use all help they can get," Sting said. "Let's join their search."

"Cool," Melody responded, as they began running to catch up to the other two rescue teams. "Hey, wait up!"

* * *

At the rescue team HQ, the three rescue teams made their way into Kala's room, the Abra being fast asleep as they entered. Mirage walked up to the sleeping psychic type, and lightly shook her shoulder. Kala slowly sat up and drowsily rubbed her eyes.

"What are all you Pokémon doing in here…?" Kala asked, sounding rather groggy. "Don't you know that Thursday is my "sleep-until-Friday day"?"

"Kala, today is not Thursday," Mirage responded. "And the reason we're all here is because we need you to send us over to Clarion Desert."

"Okay…" Kala replied, yawning and stretching. "Good luck with whatever you're doing…"

And in a flash of light, the nine Pokémon disappeared from the room and found themselves in the sandy Clarion Desert.

"Wow… So much sand…" Chiaki commented, looking around. "Where do we begin?"

"If I remember correctly, there should be an entrance to a mystery dungeon around here somewhere," Blitz responded, looking around.

"I see it!" Megara said, pointing to a mystery dungeon entrance between two rocks.

"All right, let's go!" Mirage shouted, as she and her teammates entered the dungeon.

"Hey, why did _they_ get to go first?" Frosty asked, crossing his arms. "They didn't even call dibs or anything!"

"Neither did we, so what's your point?" Melody responded. "Let's just go after them so we don't fall behind."

"Yes, let's go," Sting buzzed, and so the three of them headed inside.

"We shouldn't fall behind either," Sera said, grinning. "Shall we?"

"Let's do it!" Chiaki responded.

"Wait!" Blitz said, getting his teammates' attention. "Do you really think this is a good idea? I mean, sure, we did manage to find the first crystal, but that time we had luck and some of the Pokémon of the forest on our side, but this time…"

"Blitz, we're already here, so we might as well do this," Sera responded.

"But… there will probably be a lot of ground types here, and my electric attacks won't do much against them," Blitz replied, rubbing his forelegs together. "Plus, there are two rescue teams with higher ranks than ours on the case, so why not just leave it to them?"

"You do have some good points there," Sera responded, thinking for a moment. "But, we can still try to help search, right? Every little bit of help counts when it comes to getting the crystals back, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, we should help out!" Chiaki said. "It's not like any of us could make finding the crystals _more_ difficult, after all."

"Oh, okay…" Blitz replied, sighing. "Let's go."

"All right," Sera responded, glad that she and Chiaki were able to convince Blitz to give it a try.

* * *

Mirage and her teammates quickly found their way through the first and second floors, and were now exploring the third floor. While they wanted to quickly get through all fifteen floors, Mirage also wanted to carefully search the dungeon for money or any items that might be worth something. Since this wasn't a mission and they weren't going to be paid for finding the crystal, she figured they could at least still try to obtain some money.

"Sure is nice and warm here," Megara commented, enjoying the feeling of walking through the warm desert sand.

"The mushroom does not see the appeal of this place," Cordyceps said. "The mushroom thinks this place is much too warm and dry."

"If you think _this_ place is hot, you should visit the volcano where I used to live," Megara responded. "It is _way_ hotter there."

"The mushroom would rather not visit that place, then," Cordyceps replied. "No offense."

"None taken," Megara responded. "Besides, non-fire types usually can't handle the heat of that place unless they wear a special item."

"Sounds pretty intense," Mirage commented, panting a bit. "Oh, look, stairs."

As they entered the room with the stairs, Mirage picked up a faint familiar scent, much to her confusion.

"Bear… with a hint of frost," Mirage commented as she sniffed the air.

"You mean Sting and his teammates got here before us?" Megara asked. "How did that happen?"

"Well, since I managed to pick up on Frosty's scent like that, they were probably here just a moment ago," Mirage responded. "They can't have gotten far, so let's keep moving."

* * *

Sting and his teammates were already close to reaching the stairs by the time Mirage and her teammates made it to the fourth floor. Sting thought about how this would probably be a good story to tell Queen Miele the next time he saw her, assuming they were able to find the crystal.

"I hope my beard doesn't melt…" Frosty commented, gently stroking his icicle beard. "Why couldn't the crystal have been hidden away in a cold place?"

"Relax," Melody said, as they walked up to the fifth floor. "We're already a third of the way through this dungeon."

While Frosty wasn't too fond of the heat, his ice attacks were proving to be very useful against the wild Pokémon in the mystery dungeon. Most of the wild Pokémon they encountered were ground types, with the occasional grass type in the form of the cactus Pokémon Cacnea.

* * *

Sera and her teammates were slowly making their way through the first few floors as well, having a somewhat easier time than usual since the other two rescue teams had already made it through, and knocked out most of the wild Pokémon on the floors on the way. Although, due to the strange nature of mystery dungeons, even if one were to presumably defeat all wild Pokémon on a floor, more tended to appear, seemingly out of thin air if one stayed on the same floor long enough.

"I guess the others already picked up most of the items around here…" Sera commented, looking around. "Oh well, we've already got what we need, so we're good."

"Do you think we'll run into some strange things again?" Blitz asked, still seeming a bit uncertain about this.

"You mean like that giant plant thing in Harmony Forest?" Sera responded, noticing the stairs to the next floor and leading the rescue team to them.

"Yeah…" Blitz replied. "Think we'll have to do deal with another thing like that when looking for this crystal?"

"I don't know," Sera responded, looking around as they arrived at the next floor.

"Hey, whatever awaits us, we can handle it, right?" Chiaki asked, walking along cheerfully. "Besides, this time Sting and Mirage's teams are here too, they'll help out!"

"Chiaki's got a point there," Sera commented, choosing which path to take. "It'll be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" Blitz quietly muttered to himself.

* * *

After a while, all three rescue teams eventually made it through the dungeon and met outside the dungeon. Now having gotten further into the desert, they tried to figure out where to go next. They didn't really have that many leads to go on.

"So… Does anyone here like, happen to know anything about this place?" Mirage asked, looking around.

"Oh, we should find someone and ask for help!" Chiaki suggested, smiling and glancing at his teammates. "Remember how the elemental monkey tribes helped us get the first crystal from Harmony Forest?"

"Suppose that's a good idea," Melody responded. "But is there even anyone around here to ask?"

"I think I see something over in that direction…" Blitz said, squinting slightly as he pointed a paw in the direction specified. "I think it might be other Pokémon, as it seems to be moving slightly."

"… Wow, you're good," Mirage commented, impressed by the young Shinx's eyesight.

The three rescue teams began moving in the direction Blitz pointed out to them, and as they got closer, a few rather concerned looking Pokémon gradually came into view. There were two different cacti Pokémon, one smaller with two short legs, four needles on each arm and a yellow flower on the top of its body, and a taller one with two pink flowers on its head and which seemed to make a maracas-like sound whenever it moved.

The Cacnea and Maractus seemed to be discussing something, with a small sand colored crocodile with membranes around its eyes resembling goggles occasionally commenting on what the two cacti Pokémon were talking about. There was also a small yellow plated pangolin Pokémon sitting nearby, drawing something in the sand.

"You're right, these sandstorms have lasted _way_ longer than normal," the Maractus said, making maracas sounds when nodding her head. "Is there really anything we can do about it, though? I mean, we can't exactly control the weather."

"No, we can't," the Cacnea responded. "But, I bet the Desert Spirit can dispel those sandstorms!"

"Aren't the sandstorms blocking the way to the Desert Spirit's cave?" the Maractus asked, tilting her head slightly and thus making more maracas sounds. "We can't really reach the Desert Spirit if we can't get through those sandstorms."

"So, we need the Desert Spirit's help to get rid of the sandstorms, but we can't get to her cave because the sandstorms are in the way, and if we want to get rid of the sandstorms and get to her cave, we need her help…" the Sandile said, thinking about it for a moment. "It's like an unsolvable riddle or something…"

"Isn't there another way we can reach the desert spirit?" the Cacnea asked. "Aside from, you know..."

"Look!" the Sandshrew said, pointing to its scribbles in the sand. "I drew a Trapinch!"

"Oh, that's cute," the Maractus commented. "But it doesn't exactly solve our problem in any way."

"Um… Excuse me?" Sting buzzed as he and the other rescue team Pokémon approached the desert Pokémon. "We're on a mission, and could use a little help. Do you mind answering some questions?"

"Oh, I guess not…" the Maractus replied, curiously looking over the three rescue teams. "What do you need to know?"

"Well, we're investigating the case with the missing Axis Tower crystals, and we've been told that one of the missing crystals may be somewhere in this desert," Mirage explained. "Would you happen to know anything about where we might find it?"

"Oh, a crystal from Axis Tower?" the Maractus asked, tilting her head slightly. "I believe I've heard something about this, but I'm afraid I don't know anything about one in the desert, or where in the desert it would be."

"Ah," Sting responded, thinking for a moment. "We overheard you saying something about a Desert Spirit?"

"Well, the Desert Spirit is said to be the protector of Clarion Desert," the Maractus explained, cheerfully swaying back and forth a little. "But it's not really a spirit; it's really just a Flygon and the "Desert Spirit" thing is a title."

"The Flygon lives in a cave called the Sand-Veiled Sanctuary," the Cacnea added. "Unfortunately, we can't reach the entrance to said cave due to those harsh sandstorms blocking off part of the desert."

"Wait a minute…" Blitz said, thinking for a moment. "Something just occurred to me…"

"What is it, Blitz?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"These sandstorms have lasted pretty long, even the native Pokémon of the desert finding it strange," Blitz said. "So, if this situation is anything like how it was in Harmony Forest, then chances are…"

"I see," Sting buzzed. "You believe the sandstorms may be a lead as to where the crystal is."

"Yes, exactly," Blitz responded, nodding his head.

"Ooh, that's _brilliant_!" Mirage said, petting Blitz on the head, messing up his fur slightly. "I bet the crystal is somewhere within the area blocked by the sandstorms!"

All three rescue teams quickly agreed that this had to be the answer, and even the small group of desert Pokémon seemed to support the theory. Of course, none of them was sure who or what had the ability to make such long-lasting sandstorms, but right now the important thing was to figure out what to do about them.

"Maybe you should try to find a way to reach the Desert Spirit?" the Maractus suggested.

"How do we go about that if we can't reach that cave you guys talked about?" Mirage asked.

"Well… There _is_ another way in," the Cacnea said hesitantly. "But it happens to lead right into a mystery dungeon that none of us really dare to enter…"

"Ah, I see," Sting responded, thinking for a moment. "Now that I think about it, there is another mystery dungeon marked up in this area on our maps."

"And while these guys won't enter it, we could probably get through it," Melody added.

"So, where is that other entrance?" Mirage asked, the desert Pokémon exchanging a few glances.

"Um… We don't really remember exactly where it is," the Maractus replied sheepishly.

"… You don't remember?" Megara asked, looking somewhat annoyed.

"Relax, Megara," Mirage said. "We can probably use our maps or something to get an idea of where we can find the entrance to this mystery dungeon."

"Assuming the sandstorms aren't blocking _that_ too," Megara responded, crossing her arms.

"Well, good luck," the Cacnea said. "Sorry we can't be of more help to you guys."

"That's okay!" Chiaki responded. "We'll handle this, so don't worry!"

"Ooh, let me know what the desert spirit is like!" the Sandile said. "I've never seen her in person, but I bet she has a colorful voice and a beautiful personality, or something like that!"

"Okay!" Chiaki responded, as he began following his teammates and the other two rescue teams further into the desert. "Bye!"

* * *

Eltanin was making his way towards Fenix Town, which was where a psychic trail was leading him. The Beheeyem had many things to think about, but the most important was to make sure his daughter was safe. She had been missing since the night the crystals were stolen, and none of the guards knew what had happened to her. Eltanin was relieved to find that she had apparently made it safely to Fenix Town, where the number of rescue teams and other Pokémon living in the town could help keep her safe.

While she hadn't yet learned how to communicate via telepathy, he knew she was an intelligent young Pokémon and that she could probably look after herself until he or one of the other guards could find her and follow her back home to Axis Tower. The only thing he wasn't entirely sure of was _what_ had led her to Fenix Town, but he would probably find out soon…

* * *

The three rescue teams were now standing a short distance away from the harsh sandstorms blocking off a part of the desert, observing it and looking over their maps while trying to decide on how they would go about searching for the entrance to the Sand-Veiled Sanctuary.

"So, are we _absolutely_ sure we can't cross these sandstorms?" Megara asked.

"Megara, you're not seriously thinking about trying to get through those things, are you?" Mirage responded.

"Well, I'm still pretty annoyed with how unhelpful those Pokémon were earlier," Megara replied. "And if I'm angry enough, I'm pretty sure I can march right through those sandstorms!"

"Megara, that's ridiculous!" Mirage said. "Don't do this!"

"Relax, I'll be fine," Megara responded, starting to walk towards the sandstorms. "I'm not going to let some bad weather stop me!"

"That is not what she was saying when it was raining yesterday," Cordyceps commented.

"Shut up, Cordy," Megara responded, closing her eyes and trying to push through the sandstorm in front of her.

The other eight Pokémon watched the Magmar attempting to cross the sandstorms, only for the sandstorms to lift her off the ground and fling her through the air. Melody quickly moved over to where Megara would land, and inflated her body in order to soften Megara's landing. Melody winced a little as Megara's Flame Body ability activated as she landed on her.

"Whew… Thanks Melody," Megara said, climbing down from the inflated Wigglytuff's belly.

"You're welcome…" Melody responded, deflating herself back to normal size while trying to fan herself with her nubby paws to cool off the spot where Megara landed.

"Did you get burned?" Frosty asked, handing Melody a Rawst berry. "Here, this'll help."

"Thanks, Frosty," Melody replied, eating the berry to heal the burn.

"So, now that we're _absolutely certain_ that we can't walk right through these sandstorms, what do we do now?" Mirage asked.

"Maybe we'll have a better chance of finding the other cave entrance if we split up?" Sera suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Mirage replied, grinning.

The three rescue teams quickly came up with a plan, and so each rescue team went off in a different direction, while still remaining close to the area where the map suggested the dungeon entrance would be, hoping to find the other cave entrance quickly.

* * *

Mirage and her teammates walked around the rocks and tried to find out where on the large rock formation the entrance would be. They tried to move as quickly as they could without that hindering their ability to observe everything around them, in hopes of finding the entrance first.

"So, did you guys see today's newspaper?" Mirage asked, glancing over her shoulder at her two teammates. "Apparently small distortions have been spotted in some areas."

"Well, at least it's only a few small distortions in a few areas, right?" Megara responded. "It's nothing too serious yet."

"I know, but still…" Mirage replied, looking somewhat concerned. "I read that one of the distortions had been spotted in the forest where I lived before I came to Fenix Town."

"The mushroom assumes you are concerned about your family?" Cordyceps asked.

"Yeah…" Mirage responded, nodding her head slightly. "I know there's probably nothing to be concerned about as things are now, but…"

"Hey, I understand," Megara replied. "Even though no distortions have been spotted around Mt. Caldera yet, I still got a little concerned about my friends back home when I read that. I'm sure things will be okay, though."

"The mushroom agrees," Cordyceps said. "Once we find the crystal, it'll be one step closer to restoring the balance."

"You're right, Cordy," Mirage responded. "So, let's find that cave and get this over with as soon as possible!"

* * *

Sting and his teammates were moving along, Frosty occasionally using his ice attacks to cool himself and his teammates off. Melody seemed to be more bothered by the desert air rather than the heat, though.

"I hope it's a bit cooler inside that cave," Frosty commented.

"I'm a bit more concerned about that mystery dungeon the desert Pokémon talked about," Melody responded. "I mean, the three of us can probably handle it, and I think Mirage and her teammates can too, but what about Sera's team?"

"What do you mean?" Frosty asked. "They managed to get through the dungeon leading into the desert just fine, so why should this other one be much harder?"

"Yeah, but our team and Mirage's team did most of the work, thus clearing a lot of the way for them, remember?" Melody replied. "While I know a bronze rank team probably _can_ handle that particular dungeon without help _if_ they're strong enough, we don't know exactly how strong Sera and her teammates are."

"You think the mystery dungeon in the cave might be too much for them to handle?" Frosty asked, stroking his icicle beard.

"Don't worry too much about it," Sting buzzed. "After all, our team and Mirage's team are here too."

"Yeah!" Frosty responded, grinning. "If they get into trouble, we'll just help them out!"

"Assuming we're able to get to them in time," Melody commented, still seeming a bit concerned.

"Hey, don't say that," Frosty said, patting Melody's back. "I'm sure nothing that bad will happen."

"And Blitz is a pretty smart cub, who can probably help keep them out of trouble," Sting added.

"If you say so…" Melody replied.

* * *

Sera and her teammates were searching as well, Blitz keeping an eye out for anything that might be the entrance to a mystery dungeon. Chiaki kind of wished the desert Pokémon from before had come with them so they could get to know each other better, but since they did seem somewhat scared of going into the dungeon, he understood why that didn't happen this time around. Maybe they could at least make friends with the Desert Spirit, or get to know Sting and Mirage's teams a little better?

"See anything cave-like yet, Blitz?" Sera asked.

"Nope," Blitz responded, looking around. "And I'm still kind of nervous about this…"

"Oh, don't worry," Sera replied. "I'm sure we can avoid fighting most of the ground types, if that's the problem."

"Yeah, and the other rescue teams are coming along too!" Chiaki said, grinning. "Maybe they'll give us some rescue team advice on the way?"

"Ooh, that would be nice," Sera responded, smiling and wagging her tail.

"I guess you two have made up your minds already, huh…" Blitz said, looking down at the sand.

Suddenly, they noticed several balls of fire being shot into the air and exploding in the distance.

"Whoa, what's that?" Chiaki asked.

"I think its Megara sending some kind of signal…?" Blitz responded.

"Ooh, maybe they found the cave entrance!" Sera said. "Come on, let's go check it out!"

* * *

Megara fired a few more Flame Burst attacks into the air to make sure that Sting and Sera's teams would see it, while Mirage examined the cave entrance.

"Whew, that should be enough," Megara commented as she stopped to catch her breath.

"Was it necessary to use your fire attacks for that?" Cordyceps asked, shuddering a bit.

"It's not like _you_ had any better ideas," Megara responded.

"The mushroom was very nervous when you did that, and is still feeling rather shaken from the sudden use of fire attacks," Cordyceps said, although his voice's usual monotone made it difficult to tell.

"Well, it's not like the attack was targeting you, or anything," Megara replied.

"So?" Cordyceps responded. "You're afraid of rain."

"Hey!" Megara replied, looking rather annoyed. "Do you _want_ me to burn you?"

"The mushroom is just saying how it is," Cordyceps responded, backing away from Megara a little bit. "Please do not roast the mushroom."

"Okay, you two, that's enough," Mirage said, deciding to intervene before either of her teammates got hurt. "The other rescue teams should be getting here soon."

"Do you think they saw my signal?" Megara asked. "Should I fire a few more Flame Bursts just to make sure?"

"Nah, I don't think that's necessary," Mirage responded, shaking her head. "Save your energy for when we enter the dungeon."

"Thank you, Mirage," Cordyceps replied, looking over at the Zoroark.

It didn't take long before they heard the familiar buzzing sound as Sting and his teammates made their way over to the cave entrance, with Sera's team showing up shortly after. With all three rescue teams gathered, Mirage pointed to the cave entrance.

"We think this is it," Mirage said, looking over at the other Pokémon gathered.

"I see," Sting responded, examining the opening. "Good work."

"Thank you," Mirage replied, grinning. "So, now that we're all here, should we go in?"

"Yes, let's go find this Flygon," Sting responded. "The sooner we find it, the sooner we can help the desert Pokémon with the sandstorm problem and find the crystal."

And so, the three rescue teams entered the cave, where they hoped to get through the mystery dungeon waiting for them inside, and that they would reach the Desert Spirit.

* * *

**End of Chapter 13**


	14. We're almost a third of the way there?

* * *

As the three rescue teams entered the cave known as the Sand-Veiled Sanctuary, Chiaki noticed a statue resembling a kangaroo Pokémon with her child in her pouch. He walked up to examine it, wondering what it could be for. The entrance to the mystery dungeon within the cave was also just ahead.

"What's this statue for?" Chiaki asked, poking at it.

"Oh, that's a Kangaskhan statue," Sting explained, walking up to it. "It can be used to store and withdraw items that you currently have stored back in town."

"Ooh, that sounds useful," Chiaki responded. "Why a Kangaskhan, though?"

"We think it's because in other places around the world, item warehouses are commonly run by Kangaskhan for some reason," Mirage replied. "Of course, we're not entirely sure where the statues come from or who or what it is that places them there."

"Another mystery of this world," Chiaki said, smiling. "Cool."

"So, anyways, it looks like we can use this to make some more preparations for this if there's anything more we need that we don't have," Mirage commented, walking up to deposit some items her rescue team had picked up while exploring the mystery dungeon in the desert.

"This is probably also the last chance to turn around if anyone has decided against going through this dungeon," Melody said, giving a somewhat concerned glance over at Sera and her teammates.

"Why did you look at us when you said that?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"I just want to make sure you're sure about this one," Melody responded. "I mean, I don't know exactly how strong your team is, so I'm just a little worried."

"Hey, no need to worry about us," Sera replied, trying to sound confident in order to convince the Wigglytuff that they were strong enough. "We can handle this!"

"Oh, okay, if you say so," Melody responded, walking over to the statue as Sting moved over to withdraw some items. She didn't seem fully convinced, but it was at least enough to make her stop trying to talk them out of it.

As Chiaki watched the other two rescue teams make their preparations, Sera motioned for Blitz to come closer to her so they could talk privately for a moment, or as private as they could considering they were all still in the same room.

"Do you think we're anywhere close to achieving Silver rank?" Sera asked, glancing at the rescue team badge.

"I can't tell…" Blitz responded, looking at the badge. "Let's see… How many missions have we been on since achieving Bronze rank, and what were their difficulty ranks?"

"… You expect me to remember that…?" Sera replied, glancing over at the other two rescue team leaders to see if they were done making their preparations yet.

"Let's see… First, I believe, there was a mission we did without Chiaki because he was trying to get a chance to speak to Elina," Blitz said, trying to think about what had happened over the past few days. "And then… We went on a mission on the day they announced the crystals had been stolen…"

"Okay, that's two," Sera replied. "Go on."

"We also went on a mission the day after that, after finding out about the crystal in Harmony Forest from Stella…" Blitz said, still thinking over it. "Retrieving the crystal itself was technically _not_ a mission, and we didn't go on a mission the day after that, so the last mission we went on was the one in Nectar Woods yesterday…"

"So, we've only been on four missions since we got Bronze rank?" Sera asked.

"I guess…" Blitz responded, trying to figure out how many points that added up to. "So, with the number of points from each of those missions based on mission rank…"

"Well, how many points does that make?" Sera asked a bit impatiently. "And how many do we need to reach the next rank?"

"Hmm…" Blitz took a few more moments to try to add things up in his head, before responding. "I think we're almost a third of the way there?"

"We're _almost_ a third of the way there?" Sera replied, ears drooping down slightly.

"Hey, that's not too bad, right?" Blitz responded, while rubbing his forelegs together, before quickly glancing over at the Kangaskhan statue. "Oh, I think you can use the Kangaskhan rock now."

"Oh, right," Sera said, walking up to the statue to see what she could do. "Let's see…"

The other two rescue teams waited at the entrance while Sera thought about what to bring and which items not to bring, until she finally decided to just deposit a few of the items she had picked up on the way and not spend too much time worrying about it.

"All right, it looks like everyone is ready," Mirage said. "Let's go in!"

The three rescue teams entered the mystery dungeon one by one, entering a labyrinth looking similar to the room they were just in, a sandy floor with rocky cave walls. There were three paths to choose from to begin with.

"I guess we'll split up, taking one path each," Sting buzzed, hovering to the path on the right.

"Sounds like a plan," Mirage commented, walking up to the path on the left.

"See you guys later, then," Sera said, moving over to the path on the top along with her teammates.

And with that, the three rescue teams went off in different directions, each hoping to get through the dungeon and find the Flygon living within the deepest parts of the cave.

* * *

Back in Fenix Town, Elina was taking a nap on the roof of the café, when she suddenly felt a familiar psychic presence. Opening her green eyes and glancing down, she quickly met the gaze of a certain Beheeyem.

 _"Elina!"_ Eltanin telepathically called out to his daughter. _"I am so glad to see you're safe!"_

Elina quickly floated down to her father and hugged him tightly.

 _"You've been worried about me too, haven't you?"_ Eltanin asked via telepathy, returning the hug. _"It's okay, I'm here now."_

While the two were glad to be reunited, Eltanin sensed that his daughter still seemed uneasy about something. He figured it was probably because of the stolen crystals.

 _"Perhaps we should go home to Axis Tower, sweetie?"_ Eltanin asked via telepathy. _"The other guards have been worried about you too."_

Elina looked up at her father for a moment, before shaking her head, much to Eltanin's confusion.

 _"You don't want to go home yet?"_ Eltanin asked. _"Why?"_

Elina held up her hands, the red, yellow and green fingers on her hand flashing in different patterns to answer her father.

 _"… What?"_ Eltanin responded via telepathy, his fingers flashing in confusion as well. _"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean here."_

Elina's fingers rapidly blinked in a different pattern, Eltanin trying his best to understand what his daughter was trying to say.

 _"Slow down, dear, you're going a bit too fast here…"_ Eltanin responded, waiting for a few moments to figure out what his daughter was communicating through the signals. _"… Wait, the night the crystals were stolen? What happened then?"_

* * *

Mirage and her rescue team were making their way deeper into the mystery dungeon, picking up more items and money and fighting off wild Pokémon on the way. None of them were entirely sure how many floors this mystery dungeon was, but they assumed it was most likely not more than fifteen floors.

"The wild Pokémon here aren't too much of a challenge," Megara commented. "But, at least they still give some decent experience for us."

"Well, for us they're not too difficult," Mirage responded. "But I wonder how that Bronze rank team is doing? Think they can keep up?"

Mirage continued moving forward, when she suddenly felt something under her paws. Before she knew it, a hidden trap activated and sprayed her with mud.

"Oh, ew…" Mirage said, trying to shake some of the mud off.

"Looks like you just triggered a trap," Cordyceps commented.

"I _know_ ," Mirage responded, rolling her eyes. "Help me get this stuff out of my fur, will you?"

* * *

Sting and his teammates were exploring another part of the dungeon, also picking up any useful items they could find and fighting off some wild Pokémon. Once again, Frosty's ice attacks were proving to be useful.

"I am _so_ awesome," Frosty said, grinning. "We'll reach the end of this dungeon in no time!"

"Yes, your ice attacks have been very useful for this," Sting responded. "But don't let it go to your head."

"Don't worry; I'll keep my head cool!" Frosty replied, snickering a little.

"I see you what did there," Melody commented, rolling her eyes. "So, you think the other rescue teams are doing okay?"

"Since we haven't seen any signs of trouble so far, I'm assuming they're doing okay," Sting responded, looking around for the stairs.

"I guess," Melody replied, also looking around. "So, how far in do you think they are compared to us? I bet Mirage and her teammates probably want to get through the dungeon first."

"Yeah, they are kind of competitive at times, aren't they?" Sting responded.

"Ha, they're not going to be the first ones there, because _we're_ going to beat them there!" Frosty said, grinning. "Let's pick up the pace!"

"Okay, but watch your step," Melody responded. "There might be traps around here."

* * *

Sera and her teammates continued to carefully make their way through the dungeon, trying to avoid triggering any traps or having to fight an opponent that was too tough for them to handle.

"How can it be that we're only _almost_ a third of the way to the next rank?" Sera asked, still thinking about what she and Blitz talked about earlier.

"Well, like I said, we haven't done that many missions since we achieved our Bronze rank," Blitz responded. "Plus, we've only done one mission per day, while a lot of other rescue teams usually do multiple missions within the same dungeon in a single day."

"I see…" Sera replied, ears perking up a little as she thought about it. "They probably earn a lot of points and experience from doing it that way."

"Yeah, they probably do," Blitz responded, not realizing that Sera was probably in the process of trying to come up with some sort of plan.

"They probably do lots of difficult, but not too difficult missions to get as many points as they can in one go," Sera said, giggling a little.

"Yeah, I guess," Blitz responded, still not picking up on Sera's train of thought as he was mainly focusing on listening for wild Pokémon that could be lurking nearby.

"Ooh, and get a lot of rewards!" Sera said, seeming more and more excited as she spoke. "Like money and useful items for later missions!"

"Sera, you're acting kind of weird," Chiaki commented, wondering why Sera seemed so excited all of a sudden.

"Oh, it's nothing you need to worry about," Sera responded, wagging her tail happily.

Sera continued cheerfully moving along, not paying much attention to her surroundings as she was caught up in her own thoughts. She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts as she suddenly felt the sandy ground disappear under her, having triggered a pit fall trap. Sera gave a startled scream as she fell down onto the next floor, but luckily wasn't hut as she fell onto the sandy floor.

"Sera! Are you okay?" Chiaki asked, looking down at his teammate from the floor above.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sera responded, shaking herself off. "That was pretty unexpected, though… On the bright side, I guess I found a shortcut to the next floor."

"Oh, okay!" Chiaki replied, smiling cheerfully. "We'll be right there with you, then!"

Chiaki jumped down the hole, landing in the sand next to Sera. After a moment of hesitation, Blitz joined them too.

"All right, let's keep moving!" Sera said, still cheerfully leading her team.

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this…" Blitz muttered under his breath.

* * *

Back in Fenix Town, Elina and Eltanin sat on the roof of the café as Elina through the flashing patterns of her fingers told her father the whole story. Eltanin carefully watched the shining patterns to make sure he didn't miss any details, although he was a bit shocked at a few of the things that Elina explained to him and had to ask her to repeat those things to make sure he had understood her right.

 _"I see…"_ Eltanin responded via telepathy, nodding his head slightly. _"That is… quite the story…"_

Elina nodded her head slightly, sheepishly looking down.

 _"Well… I'm not really sure what to think of this,"_ Eltanin commented, looking rather concerned. _"Something like this has never happened before…"_

Elina looked up at her father, waiting for him to think things over for a moment and decide what they would do next. Eltanin thought about it, and eventually decided on something.

_"Okay, considering the circumstances, I guess it probably would be best that you stay here for now."_

Elina looked surprised at this response for a moment, and had her fingers flash in a pattern as if to ask if he was really sure about this.

 _"Yes, it probably is best that you stay in town and keep an eye on things,"_ Eltanin replied, nodding his head. _"However, there is something I would like you to do."_

Elina tilted her head slightly, wondering what her father's request was.

 _"Only I and other Pokémon who use similar communication methods will be able to understand the blinking patterns of your fingers, and there are limits for what you can express through your body language,"_ Eltanin explained. _"That is why I want you to find a Pokémon in this town that can teach you how to communicate via telepathy."_

Elina nodded her head in response, agreeing with her father that learning how to use her telepathy would probably be a good idea. After all, she would eventually have to learn to do so anyways.

 _"I wish I could stay here and teach you myself, but I need to return to Axis tower,"_ Eltanin said through telepathy. _"I need to tell the other guards about what I saw that night, as well as letting them know that you're safe and telling them of what you told me today."_

Elina suddenly grabbed her father's arm and shook her head rapidly, much to his confusion.

 _"You don't want me to tell them?"_  
Elina let go of her father, and began explaining her reasoning for not wanting the guards to know everything about the current situation.

 _"Ah… I understand,"_ Eltanin responded. _"If too many Pokémon knew of that particular detail, it might put your friend in danger..."_

Elina nodded her head.

_"And if the thief were to learn of this, this whole town could be in danger..."_

Elina nodded her head again.

_"Okay, then. I won't tell anyone else."_

Elina was relieved to hear that, and hugged her father tightly.

 _"Well, I'd better head back to the tower now,"_ Eltanin said, returning the hug. _"Take care, and do your best."_

Elina knew there was one more issue neither of them had really addressed after she explained the whole story, but that was something she would rather not think about for now, even if she knew perfectly well that it would have to be dealt with sooner or later…

* * *

After exploring for a while, Sera and her teammates had finally made it to the last floor of the mystery dungeon. At this point, they weren't sure if they had somehow gotten ahead of the other two rescue teams, or if they had already gotten to the end of the dungeon. Based on the number of items they had come across on this particular floor, Blitz assumed it was the former.

"Think we'll make it to the end before the other two teams catch up?" Sera asked.

"I don't know…" Blitz replied, looking around. "Something doesn't feel right…"

"What do you mean?" Sera asked. "I mean, we're nearly at the end of the dungeon! What could _possibly_ go wrong when we've gotten this far?"

"Ooh, look over there!" Chiaki said, pointing to the section of the dungeon where they were currently heading towards. "Looks like there's lots of items in there!"

"Hey, you're right!" Sera responded, wagging her tail. "Ooh, there's Gummis in there!"

As Sera and Chiaki walked over to the room, Blitz suddenly froze as he realized something.

"Wait… There are many items in one place, more than you'd expect to find in one room…" Blitz's eyes widened as he realized what this possibly meant. "Isn't that in most cases a sign that… that…"

Sera and Chiaki obliviously walked into the room, but as soon as Sera reached a paw out to pick up one of the items on the ground, a yellow arm with white claws suddenly popped out of the sand and tried to strike her. Sera gave a startled yell as the yellow Pokémon with the brown spikes on its back fully emerged from the ground, followed by even more wild Pokémon appearing by popping out of the ground or dropping down from the ceiling.

"It's a Monster House…" Blitz muttered as he stared wide-eyed at the wild Pokémon surrounding his two teammates.

"Eek, stay away from us!" Sera shouted, using her tail to fling a seed at a Pokémon resembling a bigger Sandile standing on two legs.

The Krokorok caught the Warp Seed in its mouth seemingly by instinct, and was promptly teleported to another part of the dungeon. But even with one of them out of the way for now, there were still several more Pokémon moving towards them.

"Ah, we need more Warp Seeds!" Sera said, looking through the bag. "Do we have any more...?"

"Sera, won't sending them away one at a time take a while...?" Chiaki asked, trying to put up a Detect.

"Well, w-what do you suggest then?" Sera responded.

"Um... Do we have any orbs that can stop all of these guys?" Chiaki asked, using Fake Out on the Sandslash that had tried to attack Sera.

"I… I don't know," Sera responded, panicking somewhat and not being able to remember what orbs they had brought, if any. "I-I've never fought this many Pokémon at once!"

"Sera, pull yourself together!" Chiaki shouted. "W-We have to do something!"

"I… I…" Sera was unable to think of anything.

"Come on, snap out of it!" Chiaki shouted, shaking his teammate slightly.

The wild Pokémon prepared to strike, only to be distracted by a bright light courtesy of Blitz's Flash. Blitz then quickly ran over to his teammates before the wild Pokémon could block off the path.

"Sera, let me have a look at the items we brought!" Blitz said.

"O-Okay…" Sera responded and turned around so that Blitz could get to the bag she was carrying.

"Let's see…" Blitz said, examining the items.

"A-Anything we can use in there?" Sera asked, while dodging to avoid being hit by wild Pokémon's attack.

Chiaki was also dodging moves, having an easier time thanks to his Detect move. He wasn't sure how long he would be able to keep it up, though.

"Sera, didn't you bring _any_ orbs that affect all wild Pokémon in a room?" Blitz asked.

"I-I don't know!" Sera responded, looking around. "How was I supposed to know we needed one of those!?"

"You never know, and that's _why_ you need to be on the safe side!" Blitz replied, using Flash again to momentarily blind the wild Pokémon to buy a little more time.

"Oh, right…" Sera responded, ears drooping down slightly. "I-I guess that's something someone taught me, wasn't it…?"

"Well, we need to try to find a way to get past these guys and reach the other path out of this room," Blitz said, glancing over at the path. "But how do we do that…?"

"Leave it to us!" a male and a female voice called out, as the other two rescue teams came to the rescue.

"Sting! Mirage!" Chiaki called out, grinning.

"You guys okay?" Melody asked while getting into a fighting position as the wild Pokémon turned their attention to them.

"Yeah, we're fine!" Chiaki responded, as both Blitz and Sera gave a relieved sigh.

"Well, let us deal with these guys, and go find the stairs!" Frosty said, forming a large icicle between his hands. "We'll catch up with you when we're done!"

"Okay," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "Clear the path for us, and we'll be on our way."

Frosty smirked as he lifted the large icicle that he had created over his head, before throwing it at the wild Pokémon. The wild Pokémon scattered as they tried to avoid the attack, only for the icicle to shatter upon impact with a dungeon wall, causing the wild Pokémon to be struck by the fragments. Sera, Blitz and Chiaki quickly made their way out of the room while the wild Pokémon were still taking a moment to recover from the attack.

"All right, _my_ turn," Megara said, firing an intense blast of fire from her beak to burn the wild Pokémon, and accidentally(?) frightening Cordyceps in the process.

"This shouldn't take long," Mirage commented, getting down on all fours. "Let's finish this quickly so we can catch up to the others."

"Agreed," Sting responded, pointing his arm-stingers at some of the wild Pokémon.

* * *

Sera, Blitz and Chiaki managed to quickly find and make it up the stairs while the other two rescue teams took care of the wild Pokémon. Blitz was glad to be out of that mystery dungeon, although Sera still seemed somewhat stressed.

"Sera, are you all right?" Blitz asked.

"I… I couldn't remember anything of what I had learned…" Sera responded, ears drooping down. "It was like I couldn't think at all…"

"Hey, don't feel bad," Blitz replied comfortingly. "That can happen to anyone."

"Yeah," Chiaki said, with his signature smile. "None of us were really prepared for that Monster House."

"But we _should've_ been," Sera responded, looking over at Blitz. "You said so yourself earlier, you know. A rescue team never knows what awaits them, so one always needs to be on the safe side, right?"

"Well, I guess I _did_ say something like that, huh…" Blitz replied, rubbing his forelegs together.

"I'm the leader of this rescue team, I should've remembered to bring some items that would be useful in the case of a Monster House back when I was making my last preparations at the Kangaskhan rock," Sera said, looking down at the ground. "I failed …"

"Sera, don't beat yourself up about it," Blitz responded. "Everyone makes mistakes, and when we make mistakes, we learn from them."

"Yeah, cheer up!" Chiaki said, petting Sera.

"Besides, in a way, it wasn't all your fault anyways," Blitz added. "Chiaki and I could've helped you look over the items when you were making those preparations at the Kangaskhan rock."

"Thanks guys…" Sera responded, her ears perking up a little. "I promise I'll be better prepared next time."

"Ah, there you are!" Mirage called out, as she, Sting and their teammates walked up to the three younger Pokémon. "Good to see you're all okay."

"Ooh, everyone's here!" Chiaki exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes, and now that we're all gathered, I guess we should go find this Desert Spirit," Sting said.

The three rescue teams headed down the tunnel, surprised as they eventually spotted light shining from the end of the tunnel. They soon entered a section of the cave with a large opening in the ceiling to the sky.

"This must be the place," Sting said, looking around. "But where's the Desert Spirit?"

"Looking for me?" a rough-sounding, but still feminine voice called out.

The three rescue teams saw a winged green dragon Pokémon getting up and emerging from the shadows, curiously examining the rescue team.

"Are you the Desert Spirit?" Chiaki asked, staring in awe at the Flygon.

"That is correct," the Flygon responded, nodding her head. "You may call me Rhythm."

"It is nice to meet you, Rhythm," Sting said. "Anyways, we need your assistance with something, and so do the Pokémon of this desert..."

"This is about the strange sandstorms, isn't it?" Rhythm responded.

"You already knew?" Mirage asked, tilting her head.

"Yes, I've been aware of it for a while," Rhythm replied. "I could sense something strange in the air, but I haven't been able to do something about it yet."

"Why not?" Sera asked.

Rhythm smiled, and gently used the tip of her tail to brush away some of the sand on the ground, revealing a few orange eggs.

"Are those Trapinch eggs?" Blitz asked.

"I laid my eggs pretty recently," Rhythm explained. "I just needed some rest before I could deal with the sandstorm problem."

"Ooh, when are they going to hatch?" Chiaki asked, curiously looking at the eggs.

"Not for a while yet," Rhythm responded, spreading her wings. "But for now, I think I should deal with those sandstorms."

"Is it okay to just leave the eggs alone?" Melody asked.

"Relax, they're perfectly safe in here," Rhythm responded, carefully covering the eggs with sand again. "So, let's deal with that sandstorm problem."

Rhythm motioned for the rescue teams to get onto her back, and then took off, carrying the rescue teams out of the cave through the opening in the ceiling. Once they were outside, she set them down on a cliff, and then quickly started flying towards the areas affected by the sandstorms. The sound of her wings flapping sounded like a mysterious song, which reached the other Pokémon of the desert, as if to tell them that the Desert Spirit had arrived.

The three rescue teams watched as Rhythm began flapping her wings hard enough to whip up some sandstorms of her own, moving in the opposite direction of the other sandstorms.

"Why is she making _more_ sandstorms?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Look closely at those sandstorms," Blitz said, pointing to the sandstorms Rhythm was whipping up. "They're moving in the opposite direction of the other ones. Maybe they'll cancel each other out?"

"I assume that is what she is trying to do," Sting commented, watching the Flygon whip up more sandstorms, trying to make them just as strong as the other ones.

"Come on, Rhythm! You can do it!" Chiaki shouted, cheering the Flygon on.

The Pokémon of the desert were starting to gather to watch the Desert Spirit counter the mysterious sandstorms with her own, and it did seem like Rhythm's plan was working. The sandstorms clashed, and soon canceled each other out, and Rhythm repeated the process until the sandstorms had subsided entirely.

"She did it!" Chiaki shouted, as Rhythm flew back up to the cliff where she had left the rescue teams.

"Need a ride back down?" Rhythm asked, letting the rescue team get onto her back again as she flew down to greet the desert Pokémon that had gathered.

"Desert Spirit, you did it!" a Sandile said, as Rhythm landed and let the rescue team climb off her back.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," Rhythm responded, taking a moment to catch her breath.

"That's okay, Desert Spirit," the Cacnea the rescue teams had spoken to earlier replied. "At least the problem is now solved, and we can now reach the oasis and the other parts of the desert that had been blocked."

"That reminds me!" the Maractus from earlier said, turning to the rescue team. "You can probably find that crystal you were looking for now!"

"Crystal?" Rhythm inquired, tilting her head slightly.

"Oh, right," Mirage responded, looking up at the Flygon. "The reason we came here in the first place was because one of the missing crystals from the Axis Tower is somewhere in this desert."

"Ah, I see," Rhythm replied, nodding her head while taking a quick glance at the area the sandstorms had previously been blocking off. "But, it'll probably take a while for you to find it if you were to search on your own."

"I suppose you're right," Sting responded. "Even if we limit our search to the previously blocked off areas, it'll still take a while to search for it."

"Yeah, and for all we know it might be buried under the sand somewhere…" Blitz commented, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Which is why the Pokémon of the desert should assist you," Rhythm responded, smiling and turning to the gathered desert Pokémon. "I assume that is okay with all of you?"

"Of course!" the Maractus replied. "These rescue teams were willing to help us out, so it's the least we can do for them!"

"So, you're really going to help us out?" Chiaki asked, looking excited. "Awesome!"

And so the various Pokémon of the desert helped the three rescue teams search through the sands of the desert in order to help them find the crystal. Chiaki also took the opportunity to try to get to know some of the desert Pokémon better, and managed to befriend some of the younger Pokémon present. Eventually, a Sandshrew noticed something sparkly in the sand, and called over some other Sandshrew to help dig it up.

"Ooh, it's shiny!" one of the Sandshrew said, picking up the yellow crystal. "This must be what the rescue teams wanted!"

The small group of Sandshrew ran up to the rescue teams, and presented the crystal to them.

"That's it!" Sera said, excitedly wagging her tail. "We found the second of the eight missing crystals!"

"Which means there's still six more out there," Mirage commented, picking up the crystal. "But if we keep this up, we should have them all back in no time!"

"For now, let's return to town and give the crystal to Stella for safekeeping," Sting buzzed.

"Thanks for helping us out!" Chiaki said, happily shaking the hand of the Sandshrew that had found the crystal. "I hope we can all meet again someday!"

As the three rescue teams began to head back to town, they heard the mysterious humming sound of Rhythm's wings flapping in the distance as she flew back to her cave. Perhaps it was saying good-bye to them, for now.

* * *

Cosmo was looking out at the sunset through a window, as Eltanin finally returned to the tower.

 _"Eltanin, you're back!"_ Cosmo said, walking over to greet the Beheeyem. _"Did you find Elina?"_

 _"Yes, I did,"_ Eltanin responded through telepathy. _"She will be staying in Fenix Town for the time being, as a situation has occurred and she needs to keep an eye on certain things."_

"Huh? What do you mean?" Cosmo asked, confused at this turn of events. "What has happened?"

 _"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you,"_ Eltanin responded. _"However, when the other guards get back, I do have some other information I need to share, regarding the identity of the Pokémon that stole the crystals…"_

* * *

**End of Chapter 14**


	15. You want us to do five missions in just one day?

* * *

It was another beautiful morning in Fenix Town, and Sera had just woken up and was ready for another day of missions. Last night, her family had been pretty surprised to hear that Sera and her teammates had once again had a part in bringing back one of the missing crystals, even if it was a smaller one due to the presence of two higher ranked rescue teams and the fact that it was Rhythm and the Pokémon of Clarion Desert that had ultimately found the crystal hidden under the desert sands.

Sera wasn't too concerned about that, however, as there was currently something else on her mind. Blitz had yesterday pointed out to her how few missions they had actually done since reaching Bronze rank, and so Sera had decided to try to do something about that.

"Sis, are you going to eat that?" Volt asked, looking at the berries on Sera's plate.

"Oh, right," Sera said, realizing she had momentarily forgotten about her breakfast. "I'm going to need my energy."

"And what do you need it for?" Volt asked, while trying to see if he could get any more food from his older siblings.

"Rescue team work, silly," Sera responded, smirking.

"What kind of rescue team work?" Volt asked, trying to steal some berries off of Sirena's plate.

"Well, I don't know _exactly_ what we'll be doing today yet, but I certainly intend to get a lot of work done today," Sera replied.

"Sounds to me like you're probably going to get yourself or your teammates into trouble again," Volt responded, while sticking his tongue out at Sirena for pulling her plate out of his reach.

"Hey, I know what I'm doing!" Sera replied, glaring at Volt.

"Are you sure about that?" Volt asked, smirking. "Didn't you mention that those other two rescue teams had to save you and your teammates out of a Monster House yesterday?"

"That wasn't my fault!" Sera responded.

"Oh? Whose fault was it, then?" Volt asked.

"Um…" Sera wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, but before she could think of anything, Amethyst walked into the room, having just been outside and fetched the mail.

"Hmm, today's newspaper looks interesting…" Amethyst commented, levitating the newspaper and a few letters with her telekinesis.

"Were there any letters for me?" Sera asked.

"Oh, yes," Amethyst responded, levitating a few letters over to Sera. "There seem to be some missions here for you."

"Ooh, let's see what I've got here…" Sera said, looking through the missions. "… Oh! Two of these are in the same dungeon! Perfect!"

Sera added the missions to the job list for her rescue team, and finished eating her breakfast before heading out. She had some preparations to do, and wanted to get started as soon as possible.

* * *

At the town plaza, several rescue teams were looking at today's newspaper and talking amongst themselves. Blitz and Chiaki looked around at the various rescue teams while they waited for Sera to show up.

"So, what is going on?" Chiaki asked. "Are they talking about the crystal we retrieved from the desert?"

"Well, the newspaper _does_ mention it, but it seems they're more concerned about something else," Blitz responded, listening carefully while glancing at the newspapers. "It seems they've identified the Pokémon that stole the crystals?"

"Huh, they did?" Sera asked, as she walked up to her teammates.

"Apparently, the thief is a Sigilyph," Blitz responded. "According to one of the Axis Tower guards, it seemed to possess some sort of strange, dark power… I guess that explains that giant plant and the sandstorms that were hiding the crystals, sort of…"

"Weird," Sera replied. "What kind of dark powers allows anyone to create such things?"

"I don't know…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together.

* * *

A short distance away, Stella and Bow were observing the rescue teams, having come to town to do some shopping.

"… I don't think things are what they seem to be," Stella muttered under her breath.

"What do you mean?" Bow asked, carrying some apples in her arms.

"… Let's go home," Stella responded. "I need to write another letter."

Elina was currently relaxing in a tree, quietly wondering to herself who could teach her how to communicate through telepathy. She glanced down to see Stella and Bow as they headed home. They were both psychic types, but Elina didn't know if either of them could use telepathy or not.

Elina was starting to see a number of reasons why finding someone who could teach her how to use telepathy would be difficult. For one thing, she didn't know how many psychic types there were in town, or how many of them could communicate via telepathy. And how did she know if she could trust them not to read her mind? The last thing she wanted was for someone to invade her mind in order to find the secret she was hiding…

But even if it wouldn't be an easy task, she still had to find someone who could teach her. Someone who wouldn't be interested in searching her mind for information… As she thought about it, a certain psychic Pokémon who did seem unlikely to be interested in such things came to mind. She wasn't sure if that Pokémon would be willing to help her, but she figured it couldn't hurt to try asking the Pokémon in question.

However, it was probably best to wait until after all the rescue teams were done for the day...

* * *

At the rescue team HQ, Sera eagerly ran up to the mission board, looking over the various missions on it. Once she noticed one which location matched two of the missions already on her job list, she eagerly jumped up and claimed the mission. She soon spotted another right next to it in the same dungeon and grabbed that one as well.

"All right, this is looking good," Sera said, wagging her tail happily. "Now let's see if there's anything on the outlaw board."

Sera walked up to the other bulletin board, and looked over the wanted posters, to see if there were any matching the location on the other missions she had picked out. Her ears perked up as she noticed that there was indeed one mission there in the same dungeon as the other missions she had picked out, and eagerly picked it off the bulletin board and added it to the job list.

"Now I've got five missions all in the same dungeon!" Sera said, wagging her tail. "That should be enough for one day, don't you think?"

"Hold on, five missions?" Blitz responded, tilting his head slightly. "You want us to do five missions in just one day?"

"Blitz, don't you remember what you told me yesterday?" Sera asked, pointing to their rescue team badge. "We've only done four missions since we achieved bronze rank, and we've only done one mission a day, while other rescue teams tend to do more than one mission a day."

"Oh, right…" Blitz responded, rubbing the yellow rings on his forelegs together. "We _did_ talk about that…"

"So, I decided that today, we were going to do a lot of missions in one dungeon," Sera said, happily wagging her tail. "And that way, we'll get a lot of points in one go, and a lot of rewards that we can probably use to prepare for our next missions! We'll become a better rescue team much faster this way!"

"Yeah, I guess…" Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly. "Are you sure we can do five missions in a row like this, though?"

"Why shouldn't we be able to do it?" Sera responded, smiling at Blitz. "Relax, the mystery dungeon isn't too difficult, and like I promised, we'll be better prepared for anything this time!"

"Oh, okay then," Blitz replied, managing a small smile. "Just don't push yourself too hard."

"Let's do this!" Chiaki said, seeming excited as usual.

"All right, guys!" Sera replied, rolling out their map. "We'll be heading to this dungeon here, the Green Ravine."

"What are our missions?" Blitz asked, and Sera showed her teammates the five missions on their job list.

"Two Pokémon want us to find a particular item within the dungeon, one wants a Rainy orb delivered to him, and one Pokémon wants us to look for a friend who got lost in the dungeon," Sera explained, pointing to the first four missions, before turning her attention to the outlaw mission. "And for this one, someone wants us to retrieve a stolen Pecha Scarf from a Mankey."

"That doesn't seem too difficult," Chiaki commented, smiling. "We're sure going to help a lot of Pokémon today!"

"Yes, I do think we can probably get all of these missions done," Blitz said, examining the missions.

"All right, let's look over our supplies," Sera responded, opening the bag to reveal the items inside. "Does it look like we have everything we need?"

"Hmm… I don't believe we had any Vile or X-Eye seeds anyways, so I think we're as prepared as we can be," Blitz replied, smiling at Sera.

"Good," Sera responded, putting the lid back on. "What happened yesterday won't be happening again!"

"What happened yesterday…?" Chiaki said, tilting his head slightly. "… Oh! You mean when we walked right into that Monster House?"

"Yes, that," Sera responded. "So, since it seems we're all ready, let's get going."

And so they walked into Kala's room, and asked her to teleport them over to the Green Ravine. After complaining about how they had disturbed her nap, Kala sent them off to the entrance of the dungeon, before going back to sleep.

* * *

Arriving at the entrance of the Green Ravine, Sera quickly entered the dungeon along with her teammates. Looking over the missions again, she took note of what floors the missions were on, and asked Blitz to help her remember them. The first thing they had to do was get to the fifth floor of the dungeon, where they would have to find a pink gummi for a Roselia.

Sera confidently led the team through the first floor, fighting off wild Pokémon and occasionally collecting a few items as usual.

"Let's pick up the pace, guys!" Sera said, as they walked up the stairs to the second floor.

"Aren't we already moving at a pretty good pace?" Blitz asked. "I mean, we're not in a hurry."

"But it wouldn't be nice to keep our clients waiting, would it?" Sera responded, looking around for the next set of stairs.

"I guess not," Blitz replied, seeing that Sera did have a point there.

Blitz was starting to feel a little concerned about Sera, though. Was she really this energetic today, or was she still having doubts about herself over the Monster House incident the day before and was trying to cover it up? He couldn't really tell which it was, and figured it was best not to bring it up to her. He also thought it wouldn't really be any point in bringing it up to Chiaki, since the idea of Sera still feeling bad about what happened at that point probably hadn't even crossed the Mienfoo's mind.

So, Blitz just continued to quietly follow along, while helping Sera remember what five floors the five missions were on.

* * *

Stella had gone off to find Santos and ask him to deliver a letter for her, while Bow stayed behind to watch the house. She wasn't sure why this was necessary, since her mother said she wouldn't be away for long, and with all the rescue teams around, it was unlikely that anyone would be able to sneak into their home. Bow just wandered around in circles, before stopping next to a chest covered with a white tablecloth.

Looking around as if to make sure no one was watching, even though she knew there was no one else around at the moment, she decided to walk up and pull the tablecloth off the chest, before using her psychic powers to open it and take a peek inside. Inside the chest were the two crystals that had been retrieved so far, being kept safe until they could all be safely returned to Axis Tower.

"They're so pretty," Bow said, watching the green and yellow crystal, and reaching out to touch one of them.

Before the tip of the Gothorita's arm reached the crystals, Bow suddenly felt a bit light headed and her vision was becoming blurry. She closed her eyes for a moment, images of a dark blue crystal and a whirlpool briefly flashing through her mind.

"Did I just have a vision…?" Bow said, rubbing her head and opening her eyes. "Strange, usually they happen at night, when the stars are out…"

Bow closed the chest, and covered it back up with the tablecloth. She then tried to think about what she had just seen in that brief vision she had.

"Something blue and shiny…" Bow said, closing her eyes and trying to think. "Hmm… Oh! Could it have been another one of those crystals?"

Bow tried to recall what the dark blue crystal looked like, and the shape did look the same as the green and yellow crystals. So, it probably was one of the remaining crystals, but where was it? Bow tried to remember what else was in her vision.

"Hmm… Wasn't there a whirlpool?" Bow thought out loud. "Does that mean the crystal is underwater? I should probably tell someone about this…"

While Bow had been told to wait at home, she figured that it wouldn't be a problem if she left for just a moment as it was important to let the rescue teams know about the crystals. She would probably also be back by the time her mother returned home anyways. So, she stepped outside, and began heading into town, only for a certain bouncing Azurill to crash into her.

"Ah!" Bow yelled as she fell down.

"Oh, sorry about that, Bow," Azure said, trying to use the ball on the tip of her tail to help the Gothorita back onto her feet. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," Bow responded, getting back onto her feet. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"I'm going to get more gummis!" Azure said, excitedly bouncing around. "I can feel that I'm getting _really_ close to evolving now, I just need to eat a few more gummis, and then I should be ready!"

"Oh, that's great!" Bow responded, smiling at the Azurill. "You've been looking forward to evolving for a while, haven't you?"

"You bet I have!" Azure replied, smiling back. "Hey, what was evolving like for you? Do you remember?"

"Hmm…" Bow thought about it for a moment, trying to remember. "I suppose I do, even if it has been a while since I went through the ceremony at… um… what was the name of that cave again…?"

"It's the Cave of Renewal, right?" Azure responded helpfully.

"Oh, right!" Bow said, smiling cheerfully. "It was so amazing, the cave walls were all sparkly and there were these blue lights…"

"Sounds pretty," Azure commented. "But, I'm more interested in hearing about the ceremony, actually."

"Oh, okay!" Bow responded, taking a moment to try to remember. "Let's see… There was this voice, and it asked me to stand in the center of the circle carved into the cave floor, and then the pattern on the floor started to glow!"

"Interesting," Azure replied. "That's when the process of evolution itself started, isn't it? How was it?"

"Ooh, it felt really good," Bow said, smiling. "I felt my body changing, getting a little bit taller, and more powerful… I don't even know how to really describe it actually…"

"Cool," Azure replied. "I can't wait! Well, I should get going. See you later, Bow!"

"Bye-bye!" Bow said, while waving good-bye as the Azurill bounced away.

Once Azure had left, Bow stood there on the path, suddenly looking around in confusion.

"… Why did I come out here…?" Bow wondered out loud, not remembering her original reason for going outside. "Wasn't I supposed to do something…?"

Bow thought about it, but couldn't seem to figure out what her errand was.

"Hmm… I'll figure it out later," Bow said, turning around and heading back home.

Unbeknownst to Bow, a certain Sigilyph was watching her from the shadows, snickering a little to himself.

"Cassandra's great, great, great granddaughter…" the Sigilyph muttered to himself. "She doesn't look too bright… Probably wouldn't put up much of a fight either…"

He just watched the Gothorita walk back to her home, before flying off.

"For now, I should leave, but I certainly plan on seeing _her_ again…" the Sigilyph said, with a sinister laugh as he flew off into the distance.

* * *

Sera, Blitz and Chiaki were now on the seventh floor of the Green Ravine, having found the pink gummi on the fifth floor and brought it with them, and they were now looking for the Pokémon that had requested the Rainy Orb. Chiaki still did wonder why it wanted to meet them in a place like this just to receive an item, and then leave. Why not just meet in town?

"How hard can it be to find one Pokémon one wouldn't expect to see in a place like this?" Sera said, looking around. "Are you sure we're on the right floor?"

"The mission did say the seventh floor," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

As the three young Pokémon got around a corner, they suddenly spotted a big bipedal Pokémon resembling a rhinoceros with a gray body that made it look like it was partially made of stone. Blitz was a bit intimidated by the Rhydon, but still followed his two teammates as they walked up to it to deliver the Rainy Orb.

"You wanted this, right?" Sera said, pointing to Chiaki who held up the orb.

"Ah, yes," the Rhydon responded, picking up the orb. "These make watering my plants so much easier. Thank you so much for bringing me one!"

"You're welcome," Sera replied.

"Well, I'll head back to town now," the Rhydon said. "I'll come by the rescue team headquarters to give you your reward later!"

And with that, the Rhydon teleported out of the dungeon with a little help from the magic of the rescue team badge.

"All right, two down, three to go!" Sera said, wagging her tail. "The next one is on the next floor, right?"

"Correct," Blitz responded. "According to the mission from the Kabuto, his friend Omanyte is lost somewhere on the eighth floor."

"How does he know which floor she got lost on?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Who cares, let's just go save her," Sera responded, turning back as she remembered passing the stairs while looking for the Rhydon.

The three of them quickly made it back to where the stairs were, and moved onto the next floor, and started looking for the lost Omanyte. Chiaki liked how in most missions, they knew exactly where to look for the things they needed to find. It felt a lot easier to just focus on missions, rather than try to figure out his true identity. While he didn't show it much, Chiaki _was_ bothered by his amnesia, and the fact that he hadn't been able to regain any of his memory.

However, since he didn't know where to search for his lost memories, he figured there wasn't really any point in trying to find them for now. The only lead he really had was Elina, and perhaps once she worked out a more effective way to communicate with him other than body language, she'd be able to tell him what she knew about him.

Despite all that, he didn't mind waiting, even if it could possibly take a while. After all, there was plenty for him to do until then.

"I think I see her!" Blitz said, pointing to a blue Pokémon covered mostly by a very light brown shell.

"Good job, Blitz!" Sera responded, moving towards the lost Omanyte. "Let's save her, and move onto the next one!"

The Omanyte was grateful that the rescue team had found her, and the magic of the rescue team badge sent her back to town so she could meet up again with her friend. With three missions done, there were only two more to go. First, they had to find a particular item on the tenth floor, and the outlaw that had the stolen Pecha Scarf they had to retrieve was on the eleventh floor.

"So, how much closer do you think we'll be to Silver rank after this?" Sera asked.

"Hmm… Well, it'll certainly bring us closer to it, but we'll still have some way to go, I think," Blitz responded.

"Good enough for me," Sera replied, stopping for a moment to catch her breath. "Whew, I'm starting to feel a little tired from walking so fast…"

"Should we take a break, or slow down a little?" Blitz asked, sounding a bit concerned for his teammate.

"Sure, let's slow down a little," Sera responded, smiling at Blitz. "But not too much, though! We can't keep our clients waiting!"

* * *

After quickly getting through the ninth floor, and searching the tenth floor until they found the item they were asked to find, the rescue team walked over to the stairs that would take them to the eleventh floor and their last mission for the day. Sera briefly stopped and set down their bag, and opened the lid to take another look at the items.

"All right, we'll need to fight in order to get the stolen item back, so does it look like we've got what we need for this?" Sera asked.

"Hmm, I think so," Blitz responded, looking over the items. "It would be easier if we had any Vile or X-Eye seeds, and while we _do_ have a couple of Sleep seeds, I don't know if they'll be useful in this situation since the Mankey may have an ability that makes them immune… There is a Totter seed in here we might be able to use, though."

"Think that's enough?" Sera asked.

"We have a few orbs that can be used too," Blitz responded. "We should probably avoid using the ones that affect multiple Pokémon in one room, though."

"Okay," Sera replied. "Let's go."

The rescue team headed up the stairs to the eleventh floor, where they came across a Pokémon with light brown fur, two short pointy ears, long arms and legs and a long tail, and a nose resembling a pig's snout. The Mankey was holding the stolen Pecha Scarf, trying to figure out how he wanted to wear the pink scarf, seeing as he didn't really have a neck.

"Hmm… Maybe tied around my tail?" the Mankey said, thinking out loud. "No, that'll make me look like a girl…"

"Hey!" Sera shouted, startling the Mankey for a moment. "I believe you have something that isn't yours, and we're here to make you return it!"

"Oh, no way!" the Mankey responded, holding tightly onto the scarf. "This thing is going to help me get into Oddish territory so I can gather chestnuts there without needing to worry about the Poison Powder the Vileplume in that area spread to keep other Pokémon out!"

"Why'd you have to steal it?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly. "I'm pretty sure Pecha Scarves like that can sometimes be found lying around in dungeons, so why not try to get one of your own?"

"Shut up!" the Mankey shouted, charging at Chiaki.

Chiaki quickly used Detect to avoid the Mankey's attack, and then followed it up with a Fake Out to make the Mankey flinch. Blitz then took the opportunity to charge up electricity and tackle the Mankey whilst coated in the electricity, knocking the Mankey onto its face. The enraged fighting type got back up, and charged at Sera, who quickly used her tail to fling some sand into its eyes while jumping out of the way.

As the Mankey brushed the sand off his face, Sera considered throwing one of the seeds at him. However, she wasn't entirely sure where the Mankey's mouth was, and thus wasn't sure where to aim. Blitz hit the Mankey with another Spark attack, and Chiaki attempted to strike the Mankey, only for the Mankey to knock him aside.

"Why won't any of you just hold still!?" the Mankey shouted.

Chiaki looked up to see the Mankey charging at him, and quickly had to block a Karate Chop from the Mankey by grabbing his paw at the right moment. The angry pig-monkey Pokémon simply picked up Chiaki while the Mienfoo was still holding onto his paw, and began swinging him over his head.

"Go away!" the Mankey shouted, throwing Chiaki at Sera, knocking them both to the ground.

As Sera and Chiaki tried to get back onto their feet, the Mankey began charging at them again, only to be tackled aside by Blitz.

"You're in my way!" the Mankey screamed, attempting to strike at Blitz with Fury Swipes.

Blitz managed to dodge the attacks, and then made his fur shine in order to momentarily blind the Mankey, so he could hit him with Spark yet again. The Mankey tried to get up, only for Blitz to press his paw against the Mankey's back and zap him with electricity, making the Mankey drop the scarf.

"So, I'll just take this back now," Blitz said, taking the Pecha Scarf that had fallen out of the Mankey's hand.

"You did it, Blitz!" Sera said, happily running up to her teammate along with Chiaki.

"Are you two okay?" Blitz asked, looking a bit concerned. "It looks like you two got hit pretty hard."

"Don't worry, I'll just eat an Oran berry and I'll be fine!" Sera responded, wagging her tail.

"Yeah, same here," Chiaki replied, giving Blitz a reassuring smile.

"Well, that's a relief," Blitz responded, rubbing the rings on his forelegs together.

Suddenly, the Mankey jumped up and landed on the ground a short distance from the rescue team, glaring at them.

"FINE! You can take that stupid scarf back, as long as it means I don't have to deal with more of you!" the Mankey shouted, jumping up and down in anger. "I'll go search the mystery dungeons for my own Pecha Scarf, and if anyone else tries to get in my way, _I'll beat them up_!"

And with that the Mankey ran off, angrily muttering something under his breath as he went off somewhere.

"Hey, he's getting away!" Chiaki said, looking a bit worried. "Shouldn't we go after him?"

"I think we should probably just return to Fenix Town and return this scarf to its rightful owner," Blitz responded. "While I feel bad for whatever unfortunate wild Pokémon may end up in his path, I don't think there's much more we can really do about this."

"And if he causes trouble for anyone again, maybe some other rescue team will be able to handle it," Sera added.

"I guess…" Chiaki responded. "It doesn't feel quite right to just leave him like that, though."

"I know," Blitz replied. "Let's just hope another rescue team eventually deals with it once someone tracks him down."

"Well, let's go back to town," Sera said, letting the power of the rescue team badge spread its golden light and teleport them back to the rescue team HQ.

* * *

After picking up their rewards at the rescue team HQ, the rescue team decided to head over to the café. While waiting for River to give them their drinks, the three looked over the rescue team badge and the rewards from the mission.

"Looks like we got a good amount of money from this one," Blitz commented. "And I think we got some useful items out of it too."

"Yeah, this was definitely a success," Sera responded, looking somewhat worn out. "I don't think we'll be doing this many missions at once _every_ day, though."

"Agreed," Blitz replied, chuckling a little. "Although, I guess we wouldn't be likely to _find_ five missions in the same location every day, anyways!"

"Wow, you really did five missions today?" Frederick asked, while cleaning the tables in the café.

"Yes, we did!" Chiaki responded, with his signature cheerful smile. "We got to help a lot of Pokémon today!"

"That's nice," Frederick replied, nodding his head slightly. "Hey, does this table look clean now? It _smells_ clean, but I can't really tell for sure."

"I'll be with you in a second," River said, setting down the glasses of berry juice the rescue team had ordered on the counter. "There you all go!"

"Thanks, River!" Sera replied, immediately drinking up about half of the Leppa berry juice she had ordered in one gulp. "Ooh, I needed that."

"Don't drink it all up too fast," River said, while looking over the table that Frederick had just cleaned. "After all, don't you have to go home and eat dinner soon?"

"Relax, I won't spoil my appetite," Sera responded.

"If you say so," River replied, while letting Frederick know she was satisfied with the table before guiding him over to the next table he had to clean.

While the rescue team enjoyed their drinks and Frederick continued cleaning the tables, Azure suddenly bounced into the café.

"I'm back!" Azure said, happily bouncing on her tail.

"Azure, where have you been?" River asked, pointing to a window at the position of the sun outside. "You were supposed to be back half an hour ago!"

"Sorry, I forgot to pay attention to the sun," Azure responded sheepishly. "But I did manage to get a few gummis, and now I'm going to be even closer to evolving!"

"Azure, I know you want to evolve and go on adventures," River replied, sighing. "But you _do_ realize that if I'm going to allow you to go off on your own, you need to be back when I tell you?"

"I said I was sorry," Azure responded. "And next time, I promise I'll be back when I'm supposed to be!"

"Good," River replied, patting Azure on the head.

River then went back to work, Azure went to help Frederick with the tables and the rescue team eventually finished their drinks and headed home for the day. After a day of a lot of missions, it was going to feel nice to get some sleep.

* * *

At the rescue team HQ, a certain Abra was asleep in her room as usual. Even after the day was over, she and a few of the others at the rescue team HQ would stay behind even when there were no more rescue teams coming in for the day. Nurse Giselle and some of the Pokémon assisting her would stay behind in order to look after patients or in case an emergency came up.

However, Kala wasn't entirely sure why she chose to remain in her room at the HQ even after the day was over. While there had been instances of Pokémon showing up at night to ask her to teleport them somewhere, she wasn't exactly too thrilled about the idea of having someone disturb her in her sleep when her work day was supposed to be over.

Then again, she wasn't exactly too thrilled about her sleep being interrupted any _other_ time either. While some might call her lazy, Kala _was_ an Abra, after all, and so did need eighteen hours of sleep every day in order to keep her psychic powers strong. And as long as she _did_ do her job, no one could really complain.

As Kala lay comfortably on her pillow, she suddenly felt something poking her head. She tried to ignore it, but whoever it was, they weren't going away. Kala sleepily opened her eyes, and saw a certain Elgyem hovering next to her.

"Oh, it's you again…?" Kala asked, yawning. "Do you have any idea what time it is…?"

Elina sheepishly looked down on the floor, as the Abra sat up, sleepily rubbing her eyes.

"Okay… So, where do you need to go at this hour…?" Kala asked, pointing at the map.

Elina just shook her head, much to Kala's confusion.

"You _don't_ need me to teleport you anywhere…?" Kala asked, seeming as if she was about to fall asleep again any second. "Well, what _do_ you want, then…?"

* * *

**End of Chapter 15**


	16. So, you're considering joining Sera's team?

* * *

Stella gazed up at the night sky, hoping she'd soon receive some answers that could confirm her theory, or perhaps reveal the location of another crystal, but it didn't seem like the stars had anything to show her tonight. Bow was already asleep, tightly hugging a pink blanket while mumbling something in her sleep about candy. Stella looked at the envelope she was holding, having been unable to find Santos and get him to deliver her letter to Silver Woods.

He was probably delivering some mail out of town, and she would have to wait until morning when Santos would come to deliver their mail before asking him to send her letter. She telekinetically picked up the letter that her friend had sent her a few days back, and reread what she had found out about the plant sample Stella sent her.

"I need to get this new information to her as soon as possible…" Stella whispered, as she paced back and forth.

Stella decided it was probably better to just try to get some sleep, instead of staying up when there wasn't really anything she could accomplish by doing so at the moment. She glanced up at the starry sky once more, just in case she did receive a vision. When nothing happened, she closed her eyes, trying to sleep.

* * *

At the rescue team HQ, Elina had managed to convey her message to Kala after several minutes of trying to find a way to make her request. The fact that Kala had nearly dozed off a few times while she tried to do so didn't make it any easier.

"So, let me see if I got this right…" Kala muttered groggily. "You want _me_ to reach you how to communicate through telepathy…?"

Elina nodded her head. Kala stared tiredly at the Elgyem for a moment, before falling back down on her pillow and returning to sleep, snoring lightly. Elina had to grab the Abra by her shoulders and shake her awake.

"I'll think about it, okay…?" Kala mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "So, I'll contact you later… if I don't forget…"

Kala went back to sleep, and Elina figured it was best to just let her sleep for now. She knew trying to ask Kala of all Pokémon for help was probably a somewhat crazy idea, but hopefully it was just crazy enough to work. After all, it seemed very unlikely that Kala would be interested in searching through anyone's thoughts on their personal lives and such, and thus Elina wouldn't have to worry about her secrets being found out with Kala as her teacher.

While Kala most likely just wanted to sleep and focus on her job, Elina still hoped that Kala would be willing to teach her, and that they would be able to set aside some time for that. For now, she decided to leave the rescue team HQ, and see if she could find a good place to sleep.

* * *

After a fairly uneventful night, the sun rose into the sky, signaling the start of another new day. River the Azumarill got up, and did her usual morning routine, waking up Azure and getting ready for another day of work at the café. After making breakfast, she went to fetch the mail. Inside the mailbox were today's newspaper, and a letter from Azure's father.

"Oh, he finally sent another letter!" River commented, smiling as she held the envelope. "I guess he's been too busy with work to really write… I really wish he'd come home more often."

River brought the letter inside for Azure to read, while making a mental note to herself to write a letter back when she got back home from work. Once she and Azure had finished their breakfasts, they headed off to the café. They met up with the other Pokémon that worked in the kitchen outside the café, and then they headed inside to start preparing for when it was time to open the café.

The Pokémon working in the kitchen went to bring in the supplies that would be arriving soon, and to get things ready to prepare the food and drinks that customers would order. Frederick was probably going to show up soon to help out in the café too. The young Deino only had to work a couple of more days to fully pay off his debt, and it seemed he had enjoyed helping out. He also seemed to get along well with Azure when they were both helping out in the café.

River had no doubts that Frederick would probably continue to be a regular visitor to the café even after he had finished working off his debt.

"Can I go look around town for ways to get gummis when we're done setting up things and stuff here?" Azure asked, bouncing on her tail. "I don't know if I already have enough IQ skill to evolve, but I want to gather some more just in case!"

"Azure, you don't have to be so impatient," River responded, patting her daughter on the head. "I know you want to evolve soon, but you don't have to spend _every_ day until it happens preparing for it."

"Well, what else am I supposed to do, then?" Azure asked.

"How about just taking it easy?" River suggested. "You don't have to be in such a rush all the time."

"I can take it easy _after_ I've evolved," Azure responded, bouncing around. "Please? Can I go take a look around town for ways to get more gummis later?"

"Oh, okay," River replied. "Just remember to keep track of time."

* * *

Once everything was in place, and the café was open for customers, things went the way they usually did on a normal day. And once Azure had permission to head out, she immediately headed for the town plaza. As she bounced her way into the main part of the town, she noticed Sera and her teammates over at the shop, buying some items. Azure smiled, and decided to go over to them and say hi.

"Hey guys!" Azure said, cheerfully hopping over to the bronze rank team. "Getting ready for another day of adventures, huh?"

"Uh-huh!" Chiaki responded, nodding his head and smiling. "Sera wanted to buy some Reviver Seeds before they all got sold out!"

"One can never have too many Reviver Seeds, after all," Sera said.

"We should probably put some of those away in storage," Blitz commented. "You know, just in case."

"Right, let's get right on that," Sera responded, finishing paying Wade for the purchased items before heading over to Lionel's item warehouse.

Azure continued following the rescue team as they made their preparations, figuring that perhaps she could go on another adventure with them if she did. She wondered if they had already decided on what mission they were going to handle today.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Azure asked.

"Sera received another mission with the mail this morning," Chiaki explained. "Apparently, some Buizel got lost while exploring Harmony Forest."

"Harmony Forest, huh?" Azure responded, balancing on her tail. "Same place where you found one of the missing crystals?"

"That's the one!" Chiaki replied, smiling. "I look forward to visiting it again, even if we won't get to see the monkey tribes this time since the Buizel didn't reach the main part of the forest."

"Ah, I see," Azure responded, bouncing a little. "Mind if I come with you?"

"Oh, you want to join us on this one?" Sera asked.

"Well, I _was_ going to try to get myself some more gummis, but an adventure sounds fun," Azure responded. "That is, if you're fine with letting me come along."

"Sure, why not?" Sera replied, smiling and wagging her tail.

"Great!" Azure responded, happily bouncing around. "When do we head off?"

"Well, I think we've almost gotten all our preparations done," Sera said. "We just need to go over a few more things, and then we're good to go!"

Azure smiled and followed the three as they made their last few preparations, before walking up to the rescue team HQ. Walking right past other rescue teams who were looking at the bulletin boards and trying to decide on today's missions, they entered Kala's room. Sera lightly nudged the sleeping Abra with her paw, waking her up.

"What year is it…?" Kala mumbled, as she sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Hello, Kala," Sera said, with a friendly smile. "Mind teleporting the four of us over to the entrance of Harmony Forest?"

"No, I don't mind…" Kala responded, nodding off.

"Um…" Sera shook Kala again, waking the Abra up again.

"Oh, you meant right now, didn't you…?" Kala said, yawning and stretching. "All right… Here goes…"

And with a flash of light, the four Pokémon disappeared from the room and Kala could resume her nap until another rescue team showed up. She then remembered that a certain Elgyem had been there last night, asking for her help.

"Right, I should probably think about what to do about that…" Kala said, yawning. "Hmm… I'll sleep on it."

And so, Kala resumed her nap.

* * *

Azure followed the rescue team as they explored the first floor of Harmony Forest, which had changed since the bronze rank team was there last. Aside from the vines that were spreading throughout the forest no longer being an obstacle, the entire layout of the floor had changed entirely. Chiaki seemed pretty amazed at how different it looked from the last time they had been there, despite having been told before that mystery dungeons did change like this.

The only things that stayed the same were the number of floors and what kinds of wild Pokémon might appear within them. The lost Buizel was apparently somewhere on the ninth floor of the dungeon. Sera had asked Blitz to remember what floor it was on, and to help keep track of what floor they were currently on.

"So, what Pokémon are there to fight around here?" Azure asked, swinging her tail around a little.

"Well, there are some Ledyba, which I believe we may also have seen in Nectar Woods," Blitz responded, trying to remember which wild Pokémon inhabited this dungeon. "There were also Shroomish here, and I think there might've been Bellsprout…"

"I see," Azure replied, bouncing along. "Do you remember anything else?"

"Hmm… I think there are either Taillow or Starly in here," Blitz said, thinking for a moment. "Some kind of small bird Pokémon, can't remember which one at the top of my head… and I believe there are Pachirisu on the later floors."

"Doesn't sound too difficult," Azure replied.

"I know I missed a few, though," Blitz said, looking around. "And remember to be careful with the Shroomish, since they might release spores that can induce sleep, paralyze or poison you."

"Yeah, I know about Effect Spore," Azure responded. "I'll be careful."

The four Pokémon continued exploring the maze of trees, picking up items and fighting off wild Pokémon on the way. As always, Azure was enjoying the chance to explore with Sera and her teammates, and getting to fight. She didn't think she would ever get tired of going on adventures. Sometimes, when she would look out the windows while helping her mother out in the café, it felt like every part of her just wanted nothing more than to head out and explore.

This was the third time she had joined Sera and her teammates on a mission, and with her love of adventures, she'd probably make a good rescue team member. Perhaps once she had evolved, she could join their rescue team for real? Azure figured her mother probably wouldn't mind that, as long as she remembered her curfew.

Would the rescue team be interested in having her join their team, though? She knew at least that they probably considered her a bit too impulsive and impatient at times. While Sera and Chiaki probably wouldn't mind letting her join, she wasn't too sure about Blitz. Sure, he was a nice Pokémon and liked having Azure as a friend, but would he want her as a teammate?

From what Azure had seen from the interactions between the three of them, Sera often looked to Blitz for advice when it came to the rescue team stuff, as he probably knew more than she did about it. However, Blitz also seemed like he could easily be talked into something by his two teammates if they wanted it enough.

Was that something Azure could take advantage of? Was it something she _wanted_ to take advantage of?

"We're doing pretty well so far," Blitz commented as they eventually got to the fifth floor of the dungeon. "We're already over halfway there."

"Yeah," Azure responded, still following along. "This is going by pretty fast."

"Well, we did do five missions yesterday," Sera said with a cheerful smile. "So, I suppose one kind of short mission today is a lot less stressful."

"Shame I didn't meet up with you guys in time to join you on your missions yesterday," Azure responded, giggling a little. "I probably would've enjoyed that."

"I guess you would!" Chiaki replied, with his usual cheery attitude. "I bet yesterday's missions would've been even more fun if you had come along!"

"You really think so?" Azure responded. "Because, I was sort of thinking, that maybe…"

"Oh, there are the stairs!" Sera said, spotting the stairs to the next floor. "Let's go!"

Azure followed the rescue team up the stairs, and attempted to figure out how to ask about the possibility of joining their team at some point. However, she couldn't seem to figure out what to say, or how to say it. She found this odd, since it wasn't like her to get all flustered and not be able to get her thoughts across. Maybe this just wasn't the right time to bring it up.

"Hmm… Maybe after I evolve…" Azure whispered to herself.

"Did you say something, Azure?" Chiaki asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

"Uh… No, I didn't say anything," Azure replied, giggling a little.

"Oh, okay!" Chiaki responded, turning back to helping his teammates keep an eye out for items, wild Pokémon and the stairs.

Azure decided that she would wait to ask about joining their team until after she had evolved. It seemed like a good idea, at least. For now, she tried to focus on the mission.

* * *

Elina was sitting under a tree, wondering when to head back to the HQ to see Kala. Kala had told her she would think about it, but had admitted she might not remember to do so. And even if Kala did remember, Elina wasn't sure if Kala had given it any thought yet. She wasn't sure what she would do if Kala decided not to teach her to communicate through telepathy.

If that happened, she'd have to find another Pokémon that could teach her, but she didn't really know of anyone else who could. She really hoped Kala would agree to help her…

Suddenly, Kala herself appeared next to Elina in a flash of light, startling the Elgyem.

"All right, I've been thinking about it…" Kala said, still sounding rather sleepy. "And I think I've made my decision…"

Elina tilted her head slightly, and moved a bit closer to the Abra as she anticipated the response. Kala cleared her throat, as if about to speak… only to fall asleep again, leaning against Elina. Elina stared blankly at the snoring Abra for a moment, before shaking her by the shoulders in order to wake her up.

"Zzzz… Oh! Sorry about that…" Kala responded, rubbing her eyes. "Anyways, about the whole telepathy thing… I'm willing to give it a try…"

Elina instantly perked up, and looked to Kala to make sure she had heard right, only to find that the Abra had nodded off again. Elina tapped Kala's shoulder, and the Abra woke up again.

"Yeah… I'll try…" Kala said again, yawning. "Not sure if I'll be any good at it, but whatever…"

Elina excitedly hugged Kala, who nearly dozed off again, but managed to somehow stay awake this time.

"You're welcome…" Kala said, smiling. "But for now, I need to get back to work… See you later…"

And with that, Kala teleported back to her room in the rescue team HQ and went back to sleep. Elina was relieved that Kala had agreed to help her, and that she didn't have to worry about it anymore. However, Kala hadn't specified _when_ her telepathy lessons would begin, so Elina wasn't sure how that would go. She just hoped that Kala wouldn't just randomly appear out of nowhere again whenever she decided to start the lessons.

* * *

Sera and her teammates had now reached the eighth floor of the mystery dungeon leading into the deeper part of Harmony Forest, Azure still following closely behind them. They were only one floor away from the Buizel who needed rescue. Azure kept taking note of how each of the three rescue team members handled the situation at hand; trying to figure out what she could contribute to the group if she joined the team for real.

Even if she had been doing a decent job while helping them out on a few missions, she would have to change her battling style regardless once she evolved. It was a bit difficult to fully plan ahead when she didn't yet know the full extent of how her body changing would affect the way she battled.

"All right, there are the stairs!" Sera said, wagging her tail happily as she walked up to the stairs leading to the next floor. "The client is on the next floor, correct?"

"Correct," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "So, let's go help him."

The four Pokémon walked up the stairs, and began looking around for the orange otter Pokémon that was lost somewhere on the floor. Azure tried bouncing as high as she could, in hopes of being able to get a glance over the walls and possibly catch a glimpse of where the Buizel was. Despite her best efforts, she wasn't able to get a good enough view of the dungeon.

"If only I could bounce a little bit higher…" Azure muttered. "And stay up in the air a little longer, too…"

"Don't worry about it," Sera said, wagging her tail. "Let's just look around like usual."

Azure followed the others, keeping an eye out for the Buizel. After a short while, Blitz was able to pick up on the Buizel's scent, and helped Sera find out which way it must've gone. Following the trail, they soon found the room where the Buizel was. As the Buizel spotted them, he motioned for them to be quiet as there were two white squirrel Pokémon with blue ears and yellow pouches on their cheeks asleep nearby, blue sparks of electricity occasionally rippling through the fur of the sleeping Pachirisu.

"I think I can get to him without waking the Pachirisu," Blitz whispered to the other three Pokémon in the group. "Sera, can I borrow the rescue team badge for a moment?"

Sera gave Blitz the badge, and so the Shinx began making his way towards the Buizel. He made sure to not make much noise as he walked through the grass, and even seemed to have a way to control his breathing to move as quietly as possible. He soon reached the Buizel, and held out the rescue team badge.

"Thanks," the Buizel whispered, smiling at Blitz. "I'll give you your reward at the rescue team HQ later."

And with that, the rescue team badge teleported the Buizel out of the dungeon and Blitz made his way back to his teammates.

"Well done, Blitz," Sera whispered, taking the rescue team badge back. "Now, let's get back to the HQ."

As the four Pokémon were sent back to the rescue team HQ, the golden flash of light from the rescue team badge as it teleported them out woke up the two Pachirisu. The two electric squirrels sat up and looked around for the source of the light, and when they didn't see it, decided to move to a different part of the floor.

* * *

River was taking some customers' orders when Azure returned to the café. Azure had said goodbye and left right after the rescue team picked up their reward from the Buizel, and gone back to the café so she could tell her mother and Frederick about today's adventure.

"So, you're considering joining Sera's team?" Frederick asked, while he and Azure cleaned some spilled berry juice off the floor.

"Yep," Azure responded, balancing on her tail.

"Sounds nice," Frederick replied. "They seem like a good team. Maybe I should try going on a mission with them sometime?"

"I bet you would enjoy that," Azure responded, bouncing around cheerfully. "I wouldn't mind seeing you in action myself, actually."

"Oh?" Frederick replied, tilting his head slightly.

"Well, you're a dragon," Azure said. "So, I'm assuming you must have some awesome moves!"

"Oh, I don't know if I'm really that awesome," Frederick replied, with a somewhat sheepish smile. "But thanks anyways."

The two continued talking amongst themselves while helping out in the café, until Frederick had to head home. Eventually, it got dark outside, and soon it was time to close up the café for the night and head home. Thanks to a few light crystals set up in certain spots in their house, it wasn't completely dark when they returned home. Azure began heading to her room, only for River to stop her.

"Wait just a moment, Azure," River said, smiling. "I brought something back from the café for you!"

River then held out a white gummi, which instantly brought a smile to Azure's face.

"I saved it just for you!" River said, handing Azure the gummi. "You can go ahead and eat it before you go to bed, if you'd like."

"Thanks!" Azure responded, happily eating the white gummi before bouncing over to her room.

River smiled, and went to write a letter for Azure's father. She took a blank paper from the top of a stack of blank papers and put it down on the small wooden writing desk in front of her, and then got out the quill and ink. Dipping the quill in the ink, she began writing the letter.

As she wrote about how Azure was getting close to evolving, and would probably be a Marill the next time her father saw her, she thought about how it was kind of sad that he wouldn't get to witness his daughter's evolution. She wondered if Azure felt that way too. Then again, Azure probably wouldn't let it bother her that much, as she would probably just look forward to telling her father all about whenever he came home.

River then thought about Azure's father probably felt about it, since he probably felt bad that he wouldn't be able to see his daughter evolve. River sometimes forgot to take his feelings into consideration when she thought about how much she wanted him to come home and spend time with them.

River then looked down at the letter she was writing, taking a few moments to figure out what else to write.

"… I hope we can all see each other again soon," River said, reading what she was writing to herself out loud as she continued working on the letter. "But until then, I suppose as long as we keep each other in our hearts, we're never truly far apart. So, keep up the good work, and I will do the same with my job at the café."

It didn't take much longer before River had finished the letter, and smiled as she looked over it, deciding she was satisfied with it. She left the letter on the desk, deciding to send it when Santos came to deliver the mail the next morning before heading off to work. For now, it was time to sleep.

* * *

**End of Chapter 16**


	17. If you had to choose, would you rather be a rock, or a tree?

* * *

Another new day had begun, and the Pokémon of Fenix Town was going about their regular morning routines. Sera and her older siblings were eating breakfast together as usual, making small talk about recent events and things like that. During the breakfast, Sera had noticed that Sirena had kept looking at her.

"… Do I any food stuck in my teeth, or something?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Oh, I was just wondering if you had any plans for today," Sirena responded, with a smile on her face.

"Um… Okay?" Sera replied. "I'm guessing I'll be going on some mission with Blitz and Chiaki, but we haven't decided on anything in particular yet. _Why_ do you ask, anyways?"

"Well, it's occurred to me that we never really do anything together, you know?" Sirena responded. "So, I was thinking that, maybe we could go somewhere together?"

"… Do you want something from me?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly. "What is this about?"

"Oh, Sera, don't be silly!" Sirena responded, giggling a little. "I just thought it might be nice to spend some time with my little sister!"

"… No seriously, what do you want from me?" Sera asked, looking somewhat confused.

"Come on, Sera! It'll be fun!" Sirena said, with a cheerful smile. "Take a day off from the rescue team stuff; I'm sure your teammates will understand!"

"… Yoru, Flare, Volt? Do any of you know what's going on?" Sera asked, looking around at her older brothers for answers.

"I don't know, but she's definitely up to _something_ ," Volt responded. "She's acting _way_ weirder than she normally does."

"Maybe she has a fever?" Yoru said, pressing his paw against Sirena's forehead. "… Nope, her scaly, yet surprisingly soft skin feels just as cool as it normally does."

"Oh, come on, guys," Sirena said, pushing the Umbreon's paw away from her forehead. "Is it really that strange that I want to spend some quality time with my little sister?"

"Yes," Volt responded bluntly.

"I'm really confused here…" Sera muttered, unsure what to do.

"It can't really do any harm to spend the day with your sister," Flare said, giving Sera a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you and Sirena will have fun."

"You really think so, Flare…?" Sera responded. "Well… Okay, then …"

"Yay!" Sirena replied, with a happy smile. "Today is going to be fun; I promise you won't be disappointed!"

"Uh… Okay," Sera responded, trying to smile back. "I guess we'll go once I've talked to Blitz and Chiaki."

"Be careful, Sera," Volt whispered. "We don't know what she's _really_ after."

"Don't worry about it," Sera whispered back. "I'm sure I'll be able to find out what she wants from me once we're on our own."

"Go for it," Volt responded, smirking.

* * *

After finishing her breakfast, Sera headed out to see her teammates, albeit leaving the rescue team badge and treasure bag at home. She almost felt it was a little strange to go out without those. She found Blitz and Chiaki, and explained the situation to them.

"So, Sirena wants to spend some quality time with you?" Blitz asked.

"Yeah, isn't it strange?" Sera responded. "What could she be up to?"

"I wouldn't know," Blitz replied, smiling at Sera. "But I hope you have fun."

"Thanks," Sera responded, smiling back. "And since you two are getting the day off, go do whatever you want. Anyways, see you later!"

"Bye Sera!" Chiaki said, and waved good-bye as Sera left. "Have fun!"

"Tell me how it went later!" Blitz said.

After Sera had left, Blitz and Chiaki were left wondering exactly what to do with their day off. They walked around town for a bit while trying to figure that out.

"Maybe we can head over to the dojo for some training?" Blitz suggested. "I haven't really had a chance to talk to Hercules these past few days."

"You sure that's what you want to do?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Oh… Well, if you don't want to…" Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together.

"No, it's fine!" Chiaki responded, smiling at Blitz. "If you want to head over to the dojo, go ahead! I can look around on my own, and see what else there's to do!"

"Are you sure?" Blitz asked.

"It's no problem, really!" Chiaki replied, still smiling. "I'll be fine on my own!"

"Okay, if you say so," Blitz responded, starting to head over in the direction of the dojo. "See you later."

Chiaki began walking around town, wondering what he could do while Sera was spending time with her big sister and Blitz was training at the dojo. As he looked around, he came across a certain Deino.

"Hi Frederick!" Chiaki said, happily greeting the Deino.

"Oh, hello," Frederick responded.

"So, why aren't you at the café?" Chiaki asked. "Did River give you the day off?"

"Yeah, she did," Frederick responded, nodding his head. "She apparently had to take Azure somewhere, so the café is closed today."

"Oh? Where did they go?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"I don't know," Frederick responded. "River told me they'd probably be back sometime in the evening, though."

"Oh, okay!" Chiaki said, smiling. "I've got the day off too!"

"Cool," Frederick responded. "So, what are you doing?"

"I don't know yet," Chiaki replied. "What about you?"

"I don't really have any plans either," Frederick responded.

"So, if you don't have any plans, and I don't have any plans, why don't we try to think of something together?" Chiaki asked, smiling cheerfully.

"Sounds good to me," Frederick replied, smiling too.

The two Pokémon began to walk around together, trying to see if there was anything for them to do. As they looked around, they noticed two other Pokémon, who seemed to be looking for something or someone. One was a blue Pokémon resembling a turtle with a brown and beige shell, and a white tail which vaguely resembled a wave. The other was a small green Pokémon with two red flowers on its head and something resembling a skirt made of green and yellow leaves.

"Oh, where did he get off to _this_ time?" the Wartortle asked, looking rather frustrated.

"I really hope we find him soon," the Bellossom said, trying to stay calm. "It wouldn't really be a good idea to go on this mission without him…"

"Excuse me, but is there a problem?" Chiaki asked, walking up to the two Pokémon.

"Well, we're heading out on a mission soon, but our teammate seems to have wandered off somewhere again," the Wartortle responded, looking rather annoyed.

"Need any help finding him?" Chiaki asked, giving a friendly smile.

"Oh, that would be nice," the Bellossom said.

"What does he look like?" Chiaki asked.

"He's a Sudowoodo," the Wartortle responded. "Basically, a rock type Pokémon that somewhat resembles a tree. So, if you see any moving trees, odds are it's him."

"Got it," Chiaki replied, looking over at Frederick. "Should we split up to go look for him?"

"Sure," Frederick said, nodding his head. "I sort of know what rocks smell like, and if I wander around, I might bump into him!"

"All right, let's go!" Chiaki said, and so the two headed off in different directions to help the other rescue team find their missing teammate.

* * *

Sirena was cheerfully leading the way as she and Sera were making their way over to a lake where Sirena liked to relax. Sera wasn't too surprised that the water type in the family liked to spend time near a body of water. She still wasn't sure why Sirena had all of a sudden decided to spend some quality time with her, even inviting her along to her favorite spot.

"I think you're really going to like this, Sera!" Sirena said, grinning. "It's _really_ pretty there!"

"Yeah, sure…" Sera responded, looking at her older sister suspiciously.

"Ooh, there it is!" Sirena said, running up to some bushes. "Through here!"

Sera walked up, and peeked through the bushes, and saw a clear blue lake sparkling in the light of the sun.

"Wow, that _is_ pretty," Sera said, taking in the view.

"It is, isn't it?" Sirena responded, smiling at Sera. "I bet Amethyst has never taken you anywhere this pretty, huh?"

"Wait, what was that?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Oh, nothing," Sirena said, giggling a little. "Come on, let's go swimming!"

"Oh, _now_ I know what this is about!" Sera commented, smirking. "You're jealous of how much I admire Amethyst, and this is yet another one of your attempts to get attention!"

"What? Where would you get _that_ idea from?" Sirena asked, trying to look innocent.

"Oh, so this isn't about Amethyst _at all_?" Sera responded, with a smug smile.

"Okay, maybe a little," Sirena replied, looking down sheepishly. "But I really _do_ want to spend time with you! I can be a cool big sis too!"

"So, you want to be a cool big sis, huh?" Sera asked. "Well then, let's see how you do. So, what did you have planned for us to do?"

"Ooh, well, we can relax by the lake, or I can teach you how to swim!" Sirena responded. "I can also show you some really cool things I can do!"

"Sounds fun," Sera replied, following her sister over to the lake.

* * *

Chiaki had ended up wandering out of town while searching for the Sudowoodo, and was now looking around near the area leading into the Lush Valley. He briefly wondered if the Sudowoodo might've wandered into the mystery dungeon, but soon noticed what appeared to be a moving tree standing between two regular trees.

"That must be him," Chiaki said, as he walked over to investigate.

The strange tree was indeed the Pokémon he was looking for, a brown rock type Pokémon with a body vaguely resembling a short thin tree. The Sudowoodo had three green orb-like fingers on the end of each arm, and kept tapping one of them against the side of his face while seeming to be in deep thought.

"Um… Hello?" Chiaki said, waving to the Sudowoodo. "Are you on a rescue team with a Wartortle and a Bellossom?"

"And you are?" the Sudowoodo asked, looking down at Chiaki.

"I'm Chiaki," Chiaki responded. "I'm part of a rescue team too."

"Hmm… Interesting," the Sudowoodo replied. "I'm Arbolith, and it seems you have met my teammates?"

"Well, yes," Chiaki responded, nodding his head. "They're looking for you."

"Hmm… Interesting," Arbolith said, sighing. "I suppose I should head back to town, then…"

"Why are you out here, by the way?" Chiaki asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking to myself, wondering who I really am," Arbolith responded. "Things like that."

"You don't know who you are?" Chiaki inquired, tilting his head slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, look at me," Arbolith said, gesturing to himself. "I look like a tree; yet, my body is made of rock. So, what _am_ I? Am I a rock, or a tree?"

"Oh, so you're wondering who you are in a different way than me, then," Chiaki responded. "You see, I seem to have lost my memories some time ago, and I haven't really regained much of it."

"Hmm… Interesting," Arbolith responded. "So, you don't know who you really are either."

"No, I don't," Chiaki replied, shrugging slightly.

"I see…" Arbolith responded, thinking for a moment. "So, who do _you_ think I am? Do you think I'm a rock, or a tree?"

"Uh… You're a rock type that just happens to kind of resemble a tree…?" Chiaki replied as best as he could.

"Hmm… Interesting," Arbolith said, nodding slightly. "I suppose that is a good answer…"

"Glad I could help?" Chiaki replied, trying to put on a friendly smile. "Well, should we head back to town, then?"

"I suppose we should," Arbolith responded. "Lead the way."

The two Pokémon began walking back into town, however, Arbolith suddenly stopped for a moment. Chiaki stopped as well, wondering what was going on.

"Is something wrong?" Chiaki asked.

"I was just wondering…" Arbolith said. "What would _you_ rather be?"

"Huh?" Chiaki responded, tilting his head slightly.

"Would you rather be a rock, or a tree?" Arbolith asked, looking thoughtfully at the young Mienfoo.

"Um… What kind of question is that…?" Chiaki responded, understandably confused at this random question out of the blue.

"I'm just curious," Arbolith replied. "If you had to choose, would you rather be a rock, or a tree?"

"Uh… I don't really want to be either of those things," Chiaki responded, shrugging slightly. "I'm fine with being a Mienfoo."

"Hmm… Interesting," Arbolith replied, as he and Chiaki continued walking back to town.

* * *

At the dojo, Hercules watched while Blitz had a practice battle against Lotus and Riley. In mystery dungeons, one would often have to deal with multiple wild Pokémon at once, and in some situations one couldn't always expect ones teammates to be able to help. Hercules watched how Blitz waited for the right moments to dodge the opponents' attack, and then using Flash to momentarily blind them and give himself an opportunity to attack.

"Very good," Hercules commented, observing the battle. "Have you learned any new attacks recently?"

"Not that I know of," Blitz responded, dodging a kick from Riley. "I'll probably start practicing some new techniques soon, though."

"I believe you are strong enough to properly use a Bite attack," Hercules said.

"Oh, well…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "I suppose I can at least practice the technique for that one, although I doubt using my fangs in battle is a good idea…"

"Not if you master the technique," Hercules said, giving a reassuring smile.

"I know," Blitz responded, looking down at the ground. "My father told me that I had to be careful when using my fangs in battle…"

Hercules motioned for Lotus and Riley to take a break and let him and Blitz have some privacy so they could talk alone.

"Heard anything from home recently?" Hercules asked.

"Well… I got a letter from my little sister, asking me if she could come visit me," Blitz responded. "I haven't mentioned it to Chiaki yet, and I haven't figured out what to write back to Lita…"

"I guess Lita misses her big brother, huh?" Hercules replied.

"I miss her too," Blitz said, looking down at the floor. "But… I just don't know if it's a good idea to have her come here. Sera and Chiaki are probably going to ask questions, and… I-I don't know if I'm ready to…"

"Still afraid of what will happen when your friends find out about the events that led to you coming here?" Hercules asked. "Blitz, you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"That's easy for _you_ to say," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "You don't know what it's like for others to have already decided what your future will be, and treating you as if that's the _only_ possible path for you…"

Hercules glanced down at the floor, unsure what to say to Blitz. He just comfortingly put his hand on Blitz's shoulder, not knowing how else he could show the Shinx his support.

"Other Shinx might say I'm lucky, and wish they had my destiny," Blitz said, his ears drooping down slightly. "But, I'm really just a regular Shinx like them, there's nothing really special about me…"

Hercules occasionally nodded his head slightly, to show Blitz he was listening. Blitz needed his support, but at times like these Hercules just didn't know what to say to him to make him feel better.

"Why does it _have_ to be me?" Blitz asked, sadly looking down at his own paws. "I'm not like my father, and I'm not any more qualified than any of the other Shinx… So, why do _I_ have to be the one?"

"Blitz… I know it must be difficult for you to have to deal with the high expectations other have of you, and feeling you can't live up to them," Hercules said, comfortingly petting the young Shinx. "Having others decide your life for you because they think that is the best path… I understand that it must be hard for you."

"I can't change my destiny, I can only delay the inevitable," Blitz muttered, sounding as if he was on the verge of crying. "I'm pathetic, really…"

"Blitz, that's not true," Hercules responded. "You're an intelligent and brave young Shinx, and you're always trying to do your best."

"I'm not brave," Blitz replied, sighing. "If I _were_ brave, wouldn't I be able to face this instead of trying to hide from it?"

"It's a complicated situation, and I understand that it must be difficult to deal with," Hercules responded, giving a reassuring smile. "Even I don't know how to deal with it, but I'm sure in time, you will find a way."

"You think so?" Blitz asked, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Yeah," Hercules replied, patting Blitz on the head. "I'm sure another path will open up, just give it some time."

"I don't think that'll happen," Blitz responded, looking up at Hercules. "But thanks, anyways."

"Anytime, kid," Hercules replied, smiling at Blitz. "Feeling better now?"

"A little," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

"Good," Hercules said. "Let's take a short break before resuming your training, okay?"

"Okay," Blitz replied, giving a small smile.

Blitz sat down to rest for a moment, while Hercules went to check on some of the other Pokémon that were training at the dojo this day. He was glad Hercules was willing to take the time to listen to him and give him advice, and acted as his mentor without treating it as preparations for the future that had been chosen for him…

* * *

Sera watched as Sirena swam around, moving swiftly, yet elegantly through the water. Sera had to admit that she was interested in seeing a side of Sirena that she had never seen before now, even if she knew that Sirena was doing it partially out of her usual desire for attention.

"Hey, Sera? You want to come in now?" Sirena asked, cheerfully swimming up to her younger sister. "Your big sis can teach you how to swim!"

"You sure I'm able to do that?" Sera responded, tilting her head slightly. "I mean, I don't really have the fishy tail and all the other stuff that makes you move so fast in the water."

"Don't worry," Sirena replied. "Even if you can't swim as fast as me, I can still teach you a few things."

"Well… Okay then," Sera responded. "I'll give it a try."

Sera carefully stepped into the water, Sirena offering to let Sera hold onto her tail if she had trouble staying floating. Sera somewhat clumsily moved around the water, not entirely sure how to move forward. While her instincts at least gave her some clue as to what she was supposed to be doing, she found herself moving slowly.

"Don't worry if it goes a little slow at first, that's normal," Sirena said, smiling at her little sister. "When swimming, you should make every movement count."

"Well, what do I do, then?" Sera asked, splashing around a little.

"First of all, don't splash around like that," Sirena responded, giggling a little. "You'll just use up your energy that way."

"Oh," Sera replied, calming down a little.

"Try following my lead," Sirena said, smiling at Sera. "Feel free to hold onto my tail if you need to."

"Okay," Sera responded, trying her best to follow her sister.

* * *

After bringing Arbolith back to his teammates, Chiaki met up again with Frederick. He had found the Deino bumping his head against a rock, asking it if it was the Sudowoodo. Chiaki and Frederick walked around town, wondering what else they could do.

"So, Sera is spending time with her big sister today?" Frederick asked.

"Yeah," Chiaki responded, nodding his head slightly. "I hope they're having fun."

"And Blitz is training at the dojo?" Frederick asked.

"Yep," Chiaki replied. "Hercules is his mentor, after all!"

"Huh, that's cool," Frederick responded. "There must be something special about Blitz if Hercules is training him personally."

"Why do you think that?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Well, I don't know this Hercules very well, but if he really is Blitz's mentor, then there must be something special about him, right?" Frederick said, pausing to think about whether what he was saying made sense. "Do Pokémon running dojos _normally_ take on apprentices like that?"

"Hmm… I don't really know," Chiaki responded, shrugging slightly. "Blitz says that he's just like any other Shinx."

"Maybe I'm just overthinking things?" Frederick wondered out loud. "That seems so unlike me, though…"

"I'm sure there's nothing to be worried about," Chiaki responded.

Even as he said it was probably nothing to be worried about, now Chiaki couldn't help but wonder just why Hercules had taken on the position as Blitz's mentor. All Blitz had said on the matter was that he came to train because he was having trouble getting proper training back home, but was that really all there was to it?

The more he thought about it, the more he wondered how well he really knew Blitz. It hadn't occurred to him earlier, but it seemed Blitz was avoiding answering certain questions, saying he would answer them later only to not bring it up again. Maybe Sera knew why he acted that way?

"Azure has been telling me about the adventures she's had with you guys," Frederick said.

"Oh?" Chiaki replied, looking at the Deino.

"Yeah, and it sort of makes me want to go on a mission with you guys sometime," Frederick responded, nodding his head slightly.

"Ooh, that would be fun!" Chiaki replied, smiling cheerfully.

"You think Sera and Blitz would be okay with that?" Frederick asked.

"Of course they would!" Chiaki responded.

"Well, maybe when I've got time, we can try to make that happen?" Frederick asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Sure we can!" Chiaki said, excitedly jumping around.

"Cool," Frederick responded, smiling. "So… I guess we'll do that sometime, then."

* * *

At the lake, Sirena helped Sera back onto land, as Sera had gotten tired after swimming after Sirena for a while. Sirena got out of the water as well, and lay down to relax on the grass next to her little sister.

"I have to admit, spending time with you was fun," Sera said, smiling at her older sister.

"It was?" Sirena asked, grinning. "So, does that mean I'm your new role model now, instead of Amethyst?"

"Well, Amethyst is better at giving me advice about other things," Sera responded. "But it seems you can teach me some things that _she_ can't, so I guess you can both be my role models."

"Meh, I suppose that's good enough for me," Sirena replied.

"You know, Sirena, I think I like you better when you're not always trying to one-up Amethyst," Sera said. "Maybe you should spend less time trying to be like Amethyst, except better than her, and instead just do what you can do that she can't do?"

"You think so?" Sirena asked, tilting her head slightly. "Amethyst is like, everyone's favorite."

"Well, that's because Amethyst is _awesome_ ," Sera replied, wagging her tail. "But you can be awesome too, in a different way."

"Thanks, Sera," Sirena responded, smiling. "You know, I had fun today too, we should spend time together more often!"

"Yeah, we should," Sera agreed, smiling back.

While Sirena could be annoying at times, Sera had to admit, she wouldn't mind spending more time with her. Plus, learning how to swim would probably be useful for rescue team missions. Of course, with rescue team work and such, it could be difficult to find time for that, but hopefully she and Sirena could work something out.

* * *

**End of Chapter 17**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're all enjoying the story so far! I've also been meaning to eventually put up some one-shots focusing on some of the different side characters in the story, kind of like the "Special Episodes" from PMD: Explorers of the Sky. One such "Special Episode" I'm working on focuses on Sirena, and takes place at some point before this chapter. I hope I'll be able to finish it one of these days.


	18. I have to admit, I'm kind of curious about these Deep Sea Charms too!

* * *

Sera, Blitz and Chiaki were going around Fenix Town, making their preparations for today's missions as usual. Sera cheerfully told her teammates about how she and Sirena had spent yesterday by the lake, and Blitz seemed happy to hear that Sera had been able to bond with Sirena. The three of them walked past Stella's house, just as Stella stepped outside.

"Good morning, Stella!" Sera said.

"Oh, hello," Stella responded somewhat absentmindedly. "I'm sorry, but I don't have time to talk."

"Are you in a hurry?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Well, not exactly," Stella replied. "But I had a vision revealing the location of another crystal, so I thought I'd head up to the rescue team HQ to inform the rescue teams."

"Oh, _that's_ what it was!" Bow suddenly exclaimed, peeking out of the window. "I had a vision of a crystal underwater, at the bottom of this huge whirlpool!"

"Yes, I believe that is the same crystal I saw," Stella said, nodding her head slightly to Bow.

"So, there's a crystal underwater?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yes, that's what we just told you!" Bow responded.

"I believe it must be somewhere in the Sapphire Sea," Stella said, thinking for a moment. "Specifically, somewhere near the end of a mystery dungeon called the Radiant Reef."

"There are mystery dungeons underwater?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yeah," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "There are several mystery dungeons underwater, and apparently there's also a deep sea branch of rescue teams."

"Ooh, a deep sea branch?" Chiaki asked, wanting to know more.

"It consists of Pokémon that live in the sea, naturally," Blitz explained. "They even have their own little rescue team headquarters, I've heard."

"That is correct," Stella responded. "Anyways, I'll head up to the rescue team HQ now. Hopefully they can send a message to the deep sea branch so they can send some of their rescue teams to search for the crystal."

Stella began walking towards the rescue team HQ, Sera, Blitz and Chiaki coming along since they were headed there anyways. Bow stayed behind to look after the house, and waved good bye as they left.

"I'd sure like to check out some of those underwater rescue teams," Chiaki said, looking rather excited at the thought. "Is there a way we can get there?"

"Hmm… I think there _is_ a way for non-water type rescue teams to go there," Sera replied, looking over at Blitz. "Isn't there, Blitz?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, there is," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "One needs a special item, though, that will allow non-water types to breathe underwater."

"Ooh, what kind of item?" Chiaki asked, looking at Blitz curiously.

"Some sort of amulet, if I remember correctly…" Blitz responded, trying to remember what it was called.

"It's called a Deep Sea Charm," Stella said. "It's a necklace made from magical pearls and seashells."

"Cool!" Chiaki exclaimed, looking up at Stella. "Where can we get one of those?"

"Hmm… I have a friend who knows how to make them, but I know there's also a Pokémon working at the rescue team HQ that makes Deep Sea Charms and other special items," Stella responded. "I hear items like that can also be found in treasure chests found in mystery dungeons sometimes, if you're lucky."

As they reached the rescue team HQ, Stella went off to see if someone could send a message about the crystal to the deep sea branch's HQ.

"Either of you know where we can find the Pokémon that Stella talked about?" Chiaki asked.

"You mean the one who can make Deep Sea Charms and other special items like that?" Blitz replied. "Well… Let's see…" Blitz looked around, checking the differently colored curtains covering the entrances to the other rooms. "Nurse Giselle's room is behind the pink curtain, Kala's is the purple one… Oh, maybe it's that green one, over there?"

The three young Pokémon walked up to the curtain, peeking behind it. However, it didn't seem like anyone was inside the office behind the green curtain at the moment. There was a note pinned to a wall, reading: _"Out gathering materials for making more items. Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause. ~Couture."_

"Hmm, this seems to be the right place," Sera commented, looking at the note. "It doesn't seem like this "Couture" is here today, though."

"Aw, I wanted a Deep Sea Charm," Chiaki said, pouting.

"You looking for Couture?" a female voiced asked, and the rescue team turned around to see a Servine from one of the other rescue teams.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sort of," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Well, I actually ran into her yesterday, and she mentioned that she would be heading to Tidal Shores to gather some special seashells and pearls that tend to wash up there," the Servine said.

"Wow, really?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly. "As in, the ones needed to make Deep Sea Charms?"

"Yeah, I think so," the Servine said, nodding her head slightly.

"Huh, what a strange coincidence…" Blitz responded. "That's the item we were just talking about."

"Anyways, I've got to get back to my teammates," the Servine said, looking over at a Minccino and Wynaut that seemed to be having trouble agreeing on what mission to take. "They look like they need some help. Bye!"

"Oh, bye Regina," Blitz replied, waving at the Servine.

"Well, I guess we should be finding ourselves a mission too," Sera said.

Sera and Blitz began walking up to the rescue board, but Chiaki seemed to have something else in mind.

"Wait up, guys," Chiaki said, thinking for a moment. "We were just told where Couture is!"

"So?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"I think we should head over to Tidal Shores and go meet her!" Chiaki responded, grinning.

"Or we can just wait until tomorrow," Blitz said. "She'll probably be back by then."

"Why wait until tomorrow to do things we can do today?" Chiaki asked, still smiling. "Ooh, maybe she'd get things done faster if we offer to help her find the materials she needs!"

"I like the sound of it, but it doesn't really count as a mission," Sera said, looking at the bronze colored half of their rescue team badge. "We need to do more missions if we want to reach the next rank."

"Oh, right…" Chiaki responded, looking disappointed. "I guess I was being kind of selfish there…"

"… Oh, all right, let's head over to Tidal Shores," Sera said, wagging her tail.

"You really mean it?" Chiaki asked, instantly perking up again.

"Yeah," Sera said, smiling. "I have to admit, I'm kind of curious about these Deep Sea Charms too!"

"Well, I suppose the mystery dungeon on Tidal Shores might be a good place to train," Blitz commented, rubbing his forelegs together.

"All right, let's go!" Chiaki said, excitedly running towards Kala's room. "Come on, guys!"

The bronze rank rescue team went through the purple curtain into Kala's room, where they found the Abra asleep as usual. Sera walked up to Kala, and used the tip of her fluffy tail to tickle the sleepy psychic type in an attempt to wake her up.

"Don't worry, daddy, I'll get your spoons back from the Krabby…" Kala mumbled in her sleep, before turning over on her side.

"Hey, wake up, Kala!" Sera said, shaking the Abra's shoulders when tickling didn't work.

"Don't use hot wax to soothe enraged Krabby…" Kala muttered, as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Are you awake now?" Sera asked, poking Kala's shoulder.

"Yeah, sure…" Kala responded, nodding her head sleepily. "So, where do you guys want to go today?"

"We want to go to Tidal Shores!" Chiaki said, smiling at Kala.

"Sure, no problem…" Kala responded, yawning and stretching. "You three sure have been coming here a lot lately…"

There was a flash of light and… Kala had disappeared.

"Wait, what?" Sera said, looking around in confusion. "Where did she-"

Before Sera even had the chance to finish talking, she and her teammates were enveloped by light and they found themselves on a beach.

"… That was strange," Sera said, looking around. "But at least now we're here at Tidal Shores."

"Ooh, is that the Sapphire Sea?" Chiaki asked, looking out at the beautiful blue ocean sparkling in the light of the sun.

"Yep, it is," Sera responded, wagging her tail. "Wow, I bet Sirena would love this."

"It's so pretty…" Chiaki said, staring in awe at the sea.

"So… Where do you think Couture is?" Blitz asked, looking around.  
"Actually… Do we even know _what_ kind of Pokémon she is?"

"Hmm… I guess we should take a look around," Sera replied, poking at the sand with her paw. "We'll probably find her sooner or later."

"Oh, okay," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together for a moment. "Where do you guys think Kala went earlier?"

"I have no idea," Sera replied, still rather confused about the whole thing. "She doesn't really seem like the type who would be in a hurry to go anywhere…"

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Fenix Town, Elina was taking a nap in a tree. Or at least, that is what she had been doing before Kala suddenly teleported right onto the branch she was asleep on, causing Elina to fall off it. Kala held onto the branch, lazily watching Elina fall into some bushes below them.

"… You okay…?" Kala asked, as the young Elgyem crawled out from the bushes. "Hold on…"

Kala teleported down from the tree, and helped Elina back on her feet. Elina seemed a bit dazed, but didn't seem to have taken too much damage from the fall.

"So, are you like, ready to begin the telepathy lessons and stuff…?" Kala asked, nearly dozing off as she finished the question.

Elina shrugged her shoulders slightly, before nodding her head.

"Okay, then…" Kala responded, yawning and stretching. "Mind if we do it in my office at the rescue team HQ…?"

Elina shook her head to let her know that she didn't mind.

"All right, let's head back there, then…" Kala said, grabbing Elina's arm and teleporting back to her office.

* * *

Sera, Blitz and Chiaki were looking around on the beach, hoping to find the Pokémon they were searching for. Blitz wasn't sure why, but something about the place was giving him a really bad feeling.

"Guys… Something feels off…" Blitz said, looking around nervously.

"Oh?" Sera replied, stopping and turning around.

"Don't you guys feel it too?" Blitz asked. "There's something in the air… Something isn't right here…"

"Now that you mention it, I feel kind of strange…" Chiaki said, rubbing his head.

"I don't think I can feel anything, but I did just realize we haven't seen any signs of other Pokémon yet," Sera commented, looking around. "At a place like this, one would expect to see some other Pokémon…"

The three young Pokémon carefully looked around, trying to figure out what was causing this sense of unease. Chiaki kept an eye on his surroundings while moving forward, until he suddenly felt as if the ground was disappearing under one of his legs, and was stepping into an empty space that felt like it was simultaneously burning and freezing his leg.

"AH!" Chiaki quickly pulled his leg out of a strange ripple in the sand, his scream startling his teammates.

"Chiaki, are you okay!?" Sera asked, concerned.

"I… I think so?" Chiaki responded, as he examined his leg. It appeared to be unharmed, although Chiaki could've sworn it had been transparent for a split second as he pulled it out of the sand.

"Hmm… This isn't good," Blitz said, taking a closer look at the spot. "It's another distortion."

"Yeah, that's definitely bad," Sera commented, tilting her head slightly. "Is that all there is to the bad feelings about this place?"

"I don't know…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "I think we're close to the mystery dungeon in this area…"

"Should we check it out?" Chiaki asked, while quickly glancing at his leg one more time to make sure it was normal.

"We might as well," Sera responded. "Who knows? Couture might be in there."

The three Pokémon entered the mystery dungeon, and began to look around. They were surprised to see that some sections of the walls in the mystery dungeon appeared to be distorted.

"Huh, there's even more distortions in here?" Sera said, looking around.

"I guess it wouldn't be unusual for mystery dungeons to be more affected by this," Blitz responded, keeping an eye out for wild Pokémon. "At least the distortions are still small, even if there are more of them here…"

"Do you think it's affecting the wild Pokémon in any way?" Chiaki asked.

Blitz could hear something moving towards them through the sand, as well as what sounded like an angry gurgling sound.

"I think we're about to find out…" Blitz said, getting into a battle position.

Five angry looking red crab Pokémon with large pinchers entered the room the rescue team was in, clacking their claws as they walked sideways towards the rescue team.

"They look angry…" Chiaki said, taking a few steps back.

"So, the distortion stuff is making the wild Pokémon more aggressive?" Sera asked, looking over at Blitz.

"I suppose it's not that surprising the distortions would affect them this way," Blitz commented, waiting for the right moment to attack the Krabby. "From the stories I've heard, wild Pokémon in mystery dungeons tend to be really sensitive to things like this…"

"So, what do we do about it?" Sera asked, glancing around. "Do we just fight them like usual?"

"Hey, didn't Kala say something about enraged Krabby?" Chiaki said, thinking for a moment. "Do you think she knew this was going to happen?"

"I doubt that," Sera responded, rolling her eyes.

"Guys, focus!" Blitz said, watching the Krabby move closer. "While my electricity will be super effective, I still need a little help here."

"Okay, what do you need us to do?" Chiaki asked.

"Well, you're the fastest of us three, so you'll be the most difficult target for the Krabby to hit," Blitz said, while charging up some electricity. "Take advantage of that, and try to get some good hits in."

"Got it," Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

"Sera, could you give us a Helping Hand?" Blitz asked, moving out of the way as a few of the Krabby tried to pinch him.

"I'm on it!" Sera replied, giving Blitz and Chiaki some extra power.

"All right," Blitz said, knocking a Krabby aside with his electrified paw. "Let's take these out quickly!"

Chiaki ran around, knocking the Krabby aside with his paws, allowing for Blitz to knock them out with Spark. Sera used her Helping Hand and Sand Attack to assist her teammates. It didn't take long before all five Krabby were knocked out, allowing the rescue team to move on.

"That wasn't too bad," Sera commented. "Still, I don't look forward to fighting the other wild Pokémon in this dungeon if they're like this too."

"Agreed…" Blitz responded, looking around. "Do you guys think the wild Pokémon may have trapped Couture in here?"

"I hope not," Chiaki said, smiling confidently. "But if they did, no need to worry! We'll just rescue her!"

"As usual, that's probably going to be easier said than done," Blitz responded, sighing. "But since it'll probably be a while before all eight crystals have been gathered, and the distortions likely will continue to spread… I have a feeling we'll need to get used to fighting wild Pokémon like these…"

* * *

Kala sat down on her pillow, taking a few seconds to get into a comfortable position as she prepared to begin Elina's lessons in communicating through telepathy. Once comfortable, Kala cleared her throat and decided to begin the lesson.

"So… To communicate via telepathy, you have to like… establish a psychic link with whoever you want to speak to…" Kala said, sounding somewhat tired. "And then… you talk to them, except it's more like thinking than talking… Loud thinking…"

Elina nodded her head slightly, to show Kala that she was listening and hoping showing some interest would help the Abra stay awake. Kala didn't say anything else for a while, just staring at Elina. For a moment, Elina wondered if the Abra had dozed off again and waved her hand in front of her face in an attempt to get her attention.

"Hear anything…?" Kala asked, startling the Elgyem somewhat.

Elina shook her head, as she hadn't heard anything out of the ordinary.

"So… You couldn't hear my voice, like… talk to you in your head?" Kala asked, tilting her head slightly.

Elina shook her head again.

"Hmm… Okay, let's try again," Kala said, yawning. "So, let's try to make that psychic link, and… well, let me know if you hear anything."

The two psychic types sat there, gazing into each other's eyes for a few minutes while attempting to communicate via telepathy. However, nothing seemed to be happening.

"You're not doing it right…" Kala said, rubbing her eyes. "You must open up your mind… you're not doing that…"

Elina tilted her head slightly. Was her need to keep her secrets preventing her from being able to learn to use her telepathy properly?

"Maybe you've been too stressed lately… I suggest trying to relax…" Kala said. "It's easier to make progress if you have a calm mind…"

Elina shrugged her shoulders slightly, before looking up at Kala as if to ask what she recommended.

"… Let's take a nap!" Kala cheerfully said, before plopping down on her pillow and instantly falling asleep.

Elina stared blankly at the snoring Abra for a moment, and then quietly left the room.

* * *

Sera, Blitz and Chiaki continued making their way through the mystery dungeon, collecting items and fighting wild Pokémon as usual. With the distortions making the wild Pokémon more aggressive, things were proving to be a bit more difficult than it normally would've been.

Eventually, they reached a floor where they noticed some dark blue pearls and white seashells that seemed to have been scattered down one of the paths.

"Hey, are these the pearls and seashells used to make a Deep Sea Charm?" Chiaki asked, picking up one of the seashells and examining it.

"I think it might be…" Blitz said, poking at one of the pearls with his paw. "They shouldn't be lying around like this, though… It looks like someone might've dropped them…"

"You think Couture was here, then?" Sera asked, looking around.

"Probably, since we don't know of anyone else who would be gathering these items," Blitz responded. "Based on the way these items are scattered, I guess the wild Pokémon must've attacked her, and she was in a hurry to escape…"

"Well, let's hurry up and find her, then!" Chiaki said, while quickly trying to gather up some of the pearls and seashells from the ground.

"Yeah, let's go!" Sera replied, nodding her head slightly. "Come on, this way!"

* * *

In the deepest part of the dungeon, a yellow bipedal bug Pokémon wearing clothes made from green leaves and an orange otter-like Pokémon with two tails and a yellow floatation device of sorts on his body were trying to fight off several wild Pokémon, including a brown crab Pokémon resembling a bigger Krabby.

"How many of them _are_ there?" the bug Pokémon said, trying to keep a satchel made of leaves away from a small flock of white seagull-like Pokémon that kept trying to grab it. "I didn't come here to fight…"

"Don't worry," the Floatzel responded, while knocking aside some orange hermit crab Pokémon with rocks for shells. "Even if they're more aggressive than they normally would be, I should still be able to handle them without much difficulty. After all, what kind of lifeguard would I be if I couldn't deal with the wild Pokémon on this beach?"

The Floatzel and the Leavanny continued fighting off the wild Pokémon, when Sera, Blitz and Chiaki finally reached the end of the dungeon. There were two Krabby, three Dwebble, five Wingull and the one Kingler to fight, the Kingler seeming to have indirectly become the leader of the wild Pokémon.

"Oh, it's a rescue team!" the Leavanny said, smiling.

"Neat, now we've got some back-up," the Floatzel commented, smirking.

"Are you Couture?" Chiaki asked, looking over at the Leavanny.

"Why, yes. That's me," the Leavanny responded, smiling at Chiaki. "If there's anything you need, I'll see what I can do when we're done here!"

"Cool," Chiaki replied, getting into a battle position. "Let's try to get this done fast, then!"

Sera used her Helping Hand to give the other four Pokémon present a power boost, while Chiaki decided to take a moment to use Meditate to further increase his attack power. Blitz charged up some electricity, before deciding to try to take out the Wingull.

"So, I'm guessing you live around these parts?" Sera asked the Floatzel.

"Yeah, sort of," the Floatzel responded, while knocking the Dwebble aside. "My name is Jet; I work as a lifeguard here."

"Cool," Sera replied, head-butting a Krabby that tried to pinch her ears.

Blitz managed to finish off the five Wingull quickly with his charged up Spark attack, while Chiaki helped Couture take out the other Krabby. Jet quickly took out the Dwebble by coating himself in water and charging through them. The Kingler began advancing on the rescue team, and Blitz began charging up more electricity.

The Kingler raised his big claw, which began to glow with a blue light as it began charging up a Crabhammer attack that it intended to strike Blitz with before he could finish charging.

"I'm not going to let you do that!" Sera shouted, flinging a Blast Seed at the Kingler with her tail.

However, the Kingler just blocked it with his claw, not seeming to take much damage. On the other hand, it did distract the Kingler long enough for Chiaki to come in from the side and strike him with a Fake Out. As the Kingler flinched, Blitz finished charging and immediately hit the Kingler with his Spark attack.

"Nice one!" Jet said, grinning.

"I don't think they are quite finished yet, though…" Couture replied, noticing that the Kingler was still standing.

The crab Pokémon seemed to be quite angry now, foaming at the mouth as he suddenly struck all three members of the rescue team with his Crabhammer attack. The force of the attack sent the three flying through the air for a moment, before falling down on the sand. The Kingler began approaching the three, preparing to knock them out with another Crabhammer before they could recover.

Chiaki tried to get back up, only to see the shadow of the Kingler's claw above him as he prepared to bring it down. Chiaki tried shielding himself with his arms as he prepared for the impact, only for some strings of sticky silk to suddenly hit the claw and try to pull it away, much to the Kingler's annoyance as he tried to get it off.

"This is your chance!" Couture shouted, having used String Shot to latch onto the claw and stop the Kingler's attack. "Hurry, before he manages to cut the string!"

Chiaki quickly got to his feet, and ran over to help his teammates while the Kingler attempted to cut the string holding his big claw using his other, smaller claw. Luckily for the rescue team, Couture's strings were quite strong, but they would likely still only last for a few more seconds against the Kingler's claws.

"Okay… We'll hit him at the same time," Blitz said, charging up for one more attack.

"Got it," Sera responded, taking a few steps back.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Chiaki said, taking a deep breath and using Meditate to boost his attack power a little.

"Ready?" Blitz asked, glancing at his teammates as he finished charging. "Go!"

All three began running towards the Kingler, Sera running faster than usual in order to do a Quick Attack, Blitz running with his body coated in electricity as usual, and Chiaki preparing to punch the Kingler. The three rammed into the Kingler just as it managed to free itself from Couture's String Shot, and the impact knocked the crab Pokémon onto its back, before it fainted.

"Whew… I think we did it, guys!" Sera said, happily wagging her tail.

"Yeah," Blitz responded, sighing in relief. "Man, that Kingler was tough…"

"Are you all okay?" Couture asked, walking over to the rescue team.

"Yeah, we'll be fine," Chiaki replied, with a friendly smile.

"Thanks for helping us out," Jet said. "Things have been kind of chaotic around here these past few days with the distortions that have been appearing and its effect on the wilds."

"I can see that…" Blitz commented, glancing around.

"Well, let's get out of this mystery dungeon before we have to deal with any more of them," Jet said.

"Agreed," Couture responded, looking at her satchel. "I still need to gather some more seashells and pearls before I head back to town."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Chiaki said, before handing Couture some of the pearls and seashells she had dropped earlier. "I found these in the mystery dungeon!"

"Thank you," Couture replied, taking the pearls and seashells and putting them into her bag. "I knew I dropped some of the things I had already gathered when the wilds chased me here… I still don't think I have enough, though."

"We can help you find some more!" Chiaki said.

"Oh, that is really not necessary," Couture responded, smiling at the Mienfoo. "I appreciate the offer, but I can do the rest on my own."

"Are you sure?" Chiaki asked, smiling at the Leavanny. "We don't mind helping out!"

"Oh, but you've _already_ helped me out a lot today!" Couture responded. "So, why don't the three of you head home and get some rest, and tomorrow you can stop by my room at the rescue team HQ and I'll give you a free special item each as a reward for helping us?"

"Sounds good to me," Sera said, shaking some sand out of her fur. "A battle like _that_ is enough work for one day, if you ask me."

"Agreed, let's head back," Blitz replied.

"Bye, then!" Chiaki said, and waved good-bye to Jet and Couture as the rescue team badge teleported him and his teammates back to town.

* * *

Elina thought about what Kala had said, and wondered how she could possibly relax herself enough to be able to learn how to communicate through telepathy. She figured that with all the stress relating to the missing crystals, she hadn't been able to fully relax. However, it wasn't exactly easy for her to just forget about all of that, even if it only had to be for a few moments.

She had to find a way to at least stop worrying enough so that she could learn to properly use her telepathy to communicate, like she had promised her father. Elina thought about her father, thinking about how he in addition to helping locate the stolen crystals also had to be worried about her…

Elina shook her head. This was not the time to be worrying about these things. She had to find a way to overcome these worries, so she could learn from Kala how to communicate via telepathy. Not only that, but she had to help find the remaining crystals. There was also the whole issue with Chiaki, but she would deal with that later.

The first thing she needed to do was figure out _how_ she would overcome her worries.

* * *

As the sun eventually went down, Couture decided she had gathered enough seashells and pearls, and said good-bye to Jet before heading back to town. It had gotten dark by the time Couture returned to the HQ, and went inside her room behind the green curtain to make some items with the supplies she had collected.

She searched through a basket for a special type of string, and began making a necklace from the pearls and sea shells, with one white seashell between five blue pearls on each side of it. She carefully examined each finished necklace, and put them in a bowl of water. Couture grinned as the pearls and seashells began to glow upon touching the water, and continued to glow as long as they remained underwater.

"Success," she whispered to herself, taking the necklace out of the bowl and putting it away for later.

The Leavanny quietly continued her work until late in the night, when she finally decided to get some sleep. Things had gotten a bit stressful when the wild Pokémon attacked her while she was searching for seashells and pearls washed up on the beach, but she was glad things had turned out okay. She was grateful to the rescue team that had helped her out, and she hoped they would find a good use for the reward she planned on giving each of them.

* * *

**End of Chapter 18**


	19. Why don't you guys pick on someone your own type?

* * *

Two jellyfish-like Pokémon with crown-like tufts on their heads were locked up inside a dark and quiet underwater cave. One was female with a pink body, and was cheerfully swimming around despite the situation she and her twin brother were in. Her twin brother had a blue body, and was just staring at one of the walls with a frown on his face.

"Maybe I can squeeze through these bars?" the female Frillish said, glancing over at her brother.

"Don't bother," the male one responded, staring at the wall. "We're going to be trapped in here forever."

"Aw, don't say that!" the female one replied, cheerfully wrapping her tentacles around her brother and hugging him tightly. "I'm sure mommy and daddy have sent out somebody to rescue us! We'll get out of here soon!"

"No one is going to find us here," the male one responded, not even reacting to how his sister was squeezing his body.

"Oh, don't be so silly!" the female said, giggling a little. "Someone will come and release us soon, I just know it!"

"And then those guys that kidnapped us will show up and beat them up," the male one replied, managing to slip out of his sister's grip.

"Come on, cheer up!" the female one said, cheerfully twirling around. "I know this place is kind of boring, but at least we still have each other!"

"Yeah, that way you can eat me if these guys forget to feed us," the male one responded, going back to staring at the wall. "Then again, I don't think our species is edible, nor do I think I'd taste good…"

"You're so silly!" the female one replied, giggling and tightly hugging her brother again.

The male Frillish just sighed, as his sister continued cheerfully swimming around inside the cell they were locked in.

"Shame Frillish are not among the ghost types that can turn intangible and phase through walls," the male Frillish muttered to himself. "But even if we could, it probably wouldn't have been enough to save us anyways…"

* * *

It was looking to be another busy day in Fenix Town. At the rescue team HQ, several rescue teams were looking over the missions on the billboards and trying to decide on which ones to tackle. Behind a certain green curtain, Couture had just handed Sera, Blitz and Chiaki a Deep Sea Charm each.

"Wow, they're so pretty!" Sera said, wagging her tail as she held the necklace in her paws.

"I'm glad you like them!" Couture responded, smiling at the three.

"So, the magic in these will really let us breathe underwater?" Blitz asked.

"That's right!" Couture replied. "On contact with water, the Deep Sea Charm will surround you with a magical aura that allows one to breathe underwater."

"Cool!" Chiaki said, looking rather excited. "I can't wait to try them out! Thank you so much!"

"Oh, it's the least I can do after the three of you helped me deal with those wild Pokémon yesterday," Couture responded, before stopping to think for a moment. "Come to think of it, maybe I should make something for Jet too, since he did help me before the three of you showed up. What would a Floatzel want, though…?"

After thanking Couture for the Deep Sea Charms and saying good-bye, the bronze rank team left the room.

"So, what should we do now?" Sera asked. "I guess we need to try to find a mission."

"Shouldn't we try out these Deep Sea Charms, though?" Chiaki said, looking rather excited.

"Hmm… How do we go about that, though?" Sera asked, thinking about it for a moment.

"Maybe we could… no, maybe not…" Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together.

"What was that, Blitz?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly. "Come on; let us hear what you were going to say!"

"Oh, I was just thinking, that… maybe we can head down underwater, and check if the underwater rescue teams have received Stella's message about the crystal, and if they've started looking into it?" Blitz suggested uncertainly.

"Hey, I like the sound of that!" Sera responded, wagging her tail happily.

"Y-You do?" Blitz asked.

"I like it too!" Chiaki said, smiling. "We should totally go check that out!"

And so, the rescue team headed through the purple curtain and went to wake up a certain Abra again.

"Hey, Kala?" Sera said, lightly nudging the psychic type with her paw.

"I'm not dead, I'm just sleeping…" Kala muttered, opening her eyes slightly. "Oh, it's you again."

"Could you teleport us to Tidal Shores?" Sera asked.

"Again…?" Kala responded, rubbing her eyes. "Didn't you three go there yesterday…?"

"We did, but we'd like to go there again," Sera replied.

"Okay, fine…" Kala responded, yawning. "I'm not going to question it…"

* * *

In a flash of light, Sera, Blitz and Chiaki appeared in Tidal Shores once more. This time, they were greeted by a certain Floatzel upon arriving.

"Hey guys!" Jet said, walking over. "Thanks for helping out yesterday!"

"Oh, it was no problem," Sera replied, smiling at the Floatzel.

"So, what brings you here again today?" Jet asked.

"Well, we wanted to try out our Deep Sea Charms," Chiaki said, smiling. "We figured this was the best place to start."

"Ah, I see," Jet replied, nodding. "Any particular areas underwater you had in mind?"

"We were thinking of checking out the HQ of the deep sea rescue team branch," Blitz explained. "We wanted to see if a certain message for them had arrived…"

"I think I can help you guys get there," Jet responded, smirking. "If you want, I give you a ride."

"Hmm… That would be nice," Sera replied.

"All right, then!" Jet responded, getting down on all fours and stepping into the water. He then inflated the yellow floatation device on his body slightly to make more room for his passengers. "Okay, hop on!"

The trio quickly climbed onto the Floatzel's back, and held on tightly as his tails began spinning and propelled him forward. He moved quickly through the water, and it didn't take long before he started slowing down before stopping in a certain spot out at sea.

"Okay, I think this is a good spot," Jet said. "You should be able to reach your desired location from here."

"Thanks, Jet," Blitz responded, as he, Sera and Chiaki put on their Deep Sea Charms.

"How does it look on me?" Sera asked, giggling a little.

"Huh? Oh, it looks good on you," Blitz replied, rubbing his forelegs together for a moment.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Chiaki said, smiling at his teammates. "Let's jump in!"

Sera and Chiaki then jumped into the water, Blitz carefully lowering himself into the water shortly after. As the necklaces touched the water, they began to glow with a soft light.

"Ooh, I think they're working!" Sera said, giggling a little.

The three Pokémon then dove down, and found that the Deep Sea Charms were indeed working, allowing them to breathe underwater.

"Wow, they're really working!" Chiaki said, excitedly looking around. "This is _so_ cool!"

"So, which way do we go?" Blitz asked, trying to figure out how to move in the water.

"I see your magic necklace things are working right," Jet said, sticking his head into the water and pointing a paw in a direction. "Just swim that way, and you should reach the HQ of the underwater rescue teams."

"Thanks again, Jet," Sera responded, smiling at the Floatzel. "Let's go, guys!"

"Okay!" Chiaki said, flailing about somewhat.

"Chiaki, you'll use up your energy that way," Sera commented, swimming over to him. "My big sister Sirena said that when it comes to swimming, you need to make every move count."

"Not sure how to do that, but I'll try!" Chiaki responded, smiling at Sera.

Once they had somewhat figured out how to move through the water, the three of them began swimming in the direction Jet had specified.

* * *

River was working at the café as usual, taking a few orders and telling the kitchen staff what their customers wanted. A certain Gothorita suddenly entered the café, walking up to the counter.

"Hi River!" Bow said, looking around. "Is Azure here?"

"Oh, she's training at the dojo," River responded. "Is there a message you'd like me to give her?"

"That's fine!" Bow replied, smiling. "I can just go over to the dojo and tell her myself!"

Bow headed back outside, and began heading towards the dojo. She tried to hurry, as she was worried she might otherwise forget what she wanted to say before reaching Azure. As she ran, a strange shadow suddenly appeared above her. Bow froze in fear as she heard a strange laughter, and after a moment of hesitating, looked up. However, once she looked up, there was nothing there, and the shadow she saw had disappeared as well.

"Was it only my imagination…?" Bow wondered out loud, looking around. "… Oh! I have to get to the dojo!"

Bow quickly continued her run to the dojo, and once she was just outside the dojo, stopped for a moment to make sure she remembered what she had come for.

"… Good, I still remember it," Bow said to herself, sighing in relief.

Bow then stepped inside, and looked around. A certain Heracross noticed the Gothorita and walked over to greet her.

"Hello there, Bow!" Hercules said, giving the Gothorita a friendly smile. "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to talk to Azure," Bow responded. "River said she was here?"

"That's right," Hercules replied, patting Bow on the head. "I'll go find her for you, just wait here."

"Okay!" Bow responded, while Hercules went to go find Azure.

The Gothorita glanced around at the various Pokémon doing different exercises, while trying to make sure she still remembered what she wanted to tell Azure.

* * *

As the rescue team swam deeper under water, their view got darker the further away from the surface they got, forcing Blitz to make his fur glow to provide some extra light. Chiaki stared in awe at the colorful aquatic plants and such that they swam past on their way. They soon spotted a blue light in the distance, and began swimming towards it. They eventually came across what appeared to be a small underwater cave, which the Pokémon had remodeled into the HQ for the deep sea branch of rescue teams.

The source of light appeared to be several blue light crystals, which decorated much of both the inside and outside of the cave, and allowed the Pokémon to read the words carved into stone signs and stone plates attached to a wall inside the cave serving as the mission board for the underwater rescue teams.

"This must be the right place," Sera commented, looking around.

At that moment, a blue oval fish-like Pokémon with an antenna on its head with two glowing yellow bulbs on it exited the cave; along with a big blue seahorse-like Pokémon and a light blue and black fish-like Pokémon with large fins shaped like butterfly wings.

"So, what area should we check next?" the Lanturn asked, the bulbs on its head flickering for a moment as he looked over at his teammates.

"What's the point?" the Kingdra responded, looking rather bored. "Can't we just let one of the other rescue teams do this?"

"Oh, sure!" the Lumineon replied in a sarcastic tone, smirking at the Kingdra. "And then you can tell the king that we couldn't find his kids because you didn't want to."

"Um, excuse me?" Sera said, swimming up to the three water type Pokémon.

"Oh, hey, a Pokémon from the surface," the Lanturn commented. "What brings the three of you all the way here?"

"We just wanted to make sure a certain message from the surface regarding one of the Axis Tower crystals had made it here," Sera responded.

"Ah, yes, we did hear about a crystal supposedly being near the Radiant Reef," the Lanturn replied. "We plan on investigating that once we've dealt with another mission currently requiring our attention."

"What mission is that?" Chiaki asked.

"The royal Frillish twins, prince Somber and princess Blithe have been kidnapped," the Lanturn explained.

"Oh?" Chiaki inquired, tilting his head slightly.

"Somber and Blithe are the children of king Snorkel and queen Hypotenuse, and the heirs to the Kingdom of the Sapphire Sea," the Lanturn explained. "Some Pokémon kidnapped them, and is holding them for ransom. The highest ranking rescue teams of the sea, including ourselves, are searching the ocean for wherever the kidnappers are keeping the twins."

"I see," Blitz replied. "Good luck with that."

"Thanks," the Lanturn responded, before turning to his teammates. "Come on, guys. Let's go!"

The three water types swam off to continue their search, while Sera, Blitz and Chiaki were left to wonder what to do next.

"So… What should we do now?" Sera asked, looking around.

"I suppose we could explore some more," Chiaki responded, smiling. "I bet there's even more cool stuff to see around here!"

"Yeah, I guess so!" Sera said, looking over at Blitz. "What do you think, Blitz?"

"I guess it is fine with me," Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly.

"All right, let's explore, then!" Sera said.

The three decided to first go inside the HQ for the deep sea branch, where a map with underwater mystery dungeons marked on it was carved onto a wall. They checked the map to see if there were any particularly interesting places they could explore.

"Hey, there's the Radiant Reef!" Chiaki said, pointing to one of the marked up mystery dungeons on the map.

"Hmm… Maybe we should go check it out?" Sera asked. "Even if we don't find the crystal, that place does sound pretty."

"Well… I guess it couldn't hurt to take a look…" Blitz responded.

And so the three headed out, and began swimming towards the Radiant Reef.

* * *

In a different, much bigger underwater cave in the darker parts of Sapphire Sea, a blue-belled jellyfish with red orbs on its bell and many long gray tentacles was swimming back and forth, seeming to be in deep thought. There was also a shark Pokémon shaped like a missile swimming around in a circle, and a purple sea star Pokémon with ten points and a ruby in the center of its body standing in a corner.

They turned to see a pink sunfish Pokémon with a heart-shaped body and hand-like fins enter.

"Ah, there you are, Soapy," the Tentacruel said, swimming over to the Alomomola. "How did it go?"

"First of all, my name is _Sophie_ ," the Alomomola responded, looking somewhat annoyed. "As for the situation outside, there are quite a few rescue teams searching for those twins."

"Hmm… I see," the Tentacruel replied, sighing. "Those rescue teams might ruin everything…"

"This is why you should've let _me_ be the one in charge of our plan," the Starmie said smugly, the ruby in his core flashing briefly. "My plan would've been flawless, unlike yours."

"Well, then why didn't you actually _do_ anything during the planning stage?" the Tentacruel asked, glaring at the Starmie.

"Because my ideas would've been wasted on the likes of you," the Starmie responded.

"Yeah, _right_ ," the Tentacruel replied, rolling his eyes. "You're all talk."

"So, what are we going to do about the rescue team situation?" Sophie asked. "If they find our hideout and discover that we're the ones who kidnapped those Frillish, we're going to be in a lot of trouble."

"Ooh, I have an idea!" the Sharpedo said, still swimming in circles. "We'll put up a sign outside the cave saying that this is _not_ a secret hideout, and there are _no_ kidnapped Frillish in here! That'll keep those rescue teams away!"

"No one asked you, Missile," the Tentacruel responded, giving the Sharpedo an annoyed look.

"You don't like my idea?" Missile asked, looking somewhat confused for a moment.

"Oh no, we _loved_ that _brilliant_ idea of yours," the Starmie replied sarcastically. "There's no way that would've been suspicious at all!"

"Aw, thanks!" Missile responded, smiling.

"And you are _so_ great at detecting sarcasm," the Starmie said, in the same sarcastic tone.

"Can you guys be quiet?" the Tentacruel asked, looking rather annoyed. "I need time to think."

"Sure!" Missile replied, continuing to swim around.

"And when you fail to come up with a plan, let me know," the Starmie said, swimming away.

"Ugh, remind me again why I work with these guys…" the Tentacruel muttered, before looking over at Sophie. "Hey, Soapy? Could you go check on the royal brats?"

"It's _Sophie_!" Sophie responded, sighing. "But fine, I'll go check on them."

"Thank you, Soapy," the Tentacruel replied.

The Alomomola just rolled her eyes, and swam off to another part of the cave to check on the Frillish, while the Tentacruel tried to figure out what to do if rescue teams were to find them.

* * *

The beautiful pink and orange corals of Radiant Reef were truly a magnificent sight, and Sera and her teammates couldn't help but stare in awe. They had reached the entrance to the mystery dungeon, and were wondering whether or not to go inside and explore it.

"This place sure is pretty…" Chiaki said, looking around at the corals.

"So, do we check out the mystery dungeon or not?" Sera asked.

"Well, I suppose we did bring a good selection of items," Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together. "But how will we fight underwater?"

"You have a point there," Sera responded, thinking for a moment. "We're not really used to this type of environment, and we move around differently here than we do on land…"

"So?" Chiaki said, looking at his teammates. "It's still a mystery dungeon, and we're a rescue team. It can't be that hard to figure out how we'll use our moves here!"

"Hmm… I guess you have a point there," Sera responded, thinking about it for a moment.

"I don't know…" Blitz replied, glancing around.

"It is a mystery dungeon, and we're a rescue team," Sera said. "Exploring mystery dungeons is something rescue teams do."

"Well, that's true, but…" Blitz muttered.

"Come on, let's give it a try!" Chiaki said, smiling at Blitz.

"And if things get too tough, we'll just use an Escape Orb to get out!" Sera added.

"Oh, okay," Blitz said. "We'll explore it."

The rescue team entered the mystery dungeon, which had its maze walls made of pink and orange coral. As they began to explore the dungeon, they encountered a few wild Pokémon, such as a pink and white coral-like Pokémon and a blue clam-like Pokémon that's head was a sentient pink pearl kept safe inside the shell.

Blitz was a bit uncertain whether it was safe to use his electric attacks underwater, but reached the conclusion that if the part electric typed Chinchou and Lanturn could use their electric attacks underwater without hurting anyone other than the intended targets, so could he. His Spark attack gave his team an advantage against the water type wild Pokémon of the dungeon.

Well, with the exception of the Chinchou, anyways, as the ones with the Volt Absorb ability could just absorb his electricity to give themselves more energy. The ones with the Illuminate ability were also a bit of a bother, as the yellow bulbs at the end of their two long antenna would flash whenever they got hit, summoning more wild Pokémon into the dungeon.

Staryu with the Illuminate ability were annoying for the same reason, with the red core in the center of the five pointed orange sea stars would light up and summon more Pokémon when hit by an attack.

However, through teamwork and with the help of a few healing items, the rescue team were managing to get pretty far into the mystery dungeon.

"Okay, we seem to have reached the eleventh floor," Blitz said, looking around. "I believe the map said this dungeon has fifteen floors, so only a few more floors to go."

"Good," Sera responded, panting.

"Need to take another break?" Blitz asked.

"Swimming and fighting underwater sure can make one tired…" Sera said, sighing. "I wonder how water types do it without getting tired…"

Sera took a moment to relax, only for a trap under her to suddenly squirt a green sticky substance onto the treasure bag Sera was carrying.

"Oh, gross!" Sera exclaimed, looking rather annoyed. "How did I even trigger that trap? My feet weren't even touching the ground!"

"M-Maybe the tip of your tail brushed up against it?" Blitz responded, also wondering how this had happened.

"Ugh, let's just keep going," Sera said, managing to get some of the sticky stuff off the bag.

"Wait, Sera!" Blitz responded, as Sera began swimming towards the next room. "Shouldn't we check which of our items that Glue Trap may have affected?"

However, Sera didn't seem to listen, and so Blitz and Chiaki couldn't do much else but continue to follow her. Things went rather well on the next floor, and things seemed to be going well when they got to the thirteenth floor as well.

"Hmm… Where are those stairs?" Sera asked, looking around.

"Maybe we missed them?" Chiaki suggested. "Or we were going in the wrong direction?"

"I don't know…" Sera responded. "But, let's try to go a little further this way. There are still a few places we haven't checked in this section."

They continued looking around, checking the rooms for items and the stairs.

"Oh! I think I see the stairs!" Chiaki exclaimed, while pointing to one of the rooms they hadn't entered.

"Hold on, guys…" Blitz said, swimming up a little to get a better view of the room. "Take a look at the items in there."

"What about them?" Sera asked, as she and Chiaki swam up to Blitz in order to see what he was talking about.

"There seems to be a lot of items in that room, particularly gummis," Blitz explained. "Odds are we'll walk right into a Monster House if we go in there."

"But the stairs are in that room!" Chiaki said.

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Sera responded, wagging her tail. "I came prepared for this."

"Okay…" Blitz said, taking a deep breath. "Watch your step, guys. There might be a few traps in there as well."

The three Pokémon entered the room, and thus several wild Pokémon appeared. There were two Chinchou, three Staryu, two small pink heart-shaped fish Pokémon; two rather annoyed looking blue puffer fish Pokémon with spikes on its body and a small blue seahorse Pokémon.

"Yep, it's a Monster House," Blitz said, looking around and trying to mentally count how many wilds there were. "There seems to be ten wild Pokémon here in total."

"Well, I'll just use the Petrify Orb I brought to freeze these guys, and then we can move onto the next floor!" Sera responded, reaching into her bag. "… Huh? Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me!"

The Petrify Orb was covered in the green glue that had sprayed out from the Glue Trap from earlier, preventing Sera from using it.

"… That's not good," Blitz said, staring at the orb.

"O-Okay, let's not panic," Sera responded nervously. "W-We can still beat these guys…"

"All we have to do is reach the stairs," Chiaki pointed out.

"Well, let's give it a try…" Sera said, using her Helping Hand to power up her teammates.

"Those Luvdisc may not look tough, but their Agility attack will cause a lot of trouble for us if we don't take them out fast," Blitz muttered, as he used Spark on one of the two pink heart-shaped fish Pokémon.

"Take this!" Chiaki said, using Fake Out to make the second Luvdisc flinch.

After making their moves, the rescue team found themselves having to dodge the attacks of eight out of the nine remaining wilds. Dodging water attacks were more difficult here since they were mostly just various streams of pressure when used underwater. The different attacks hitting them from different angles took off quite a bit of the rescue team's energy.

"I have a feeling those Reviver Seeds I brought may need to be used…" Sera muttered, pulling out an Oran berry from the bag. "For now, use this to heal up, Blitz."

"Thanks, Sera," Blitz responded, eating the Oran berry to restore some of his energy. "I'll finish off the second Luvdisc now."

"Hmm… Which one of these guys is the biggest threat right now…?" Chiaki said, looking around at the opponents, unsure which one to attack first.

"I'd say the Chinchou or the Qwilfish might be our biggest problem," Blitz responded. "The Qwilfish might have the Poison Point ability, so be careful."

"Okay, got it," Chiaki said, and proceeded to quickly slap one of the Chinchou five times in succession, knocking it out. "All right, it worked!"

The remaining seven water type wilds attacked again, and while the three rescue team members managed to dodge some of the attacks this time, they were still weakened even more.

"Ugh… Somehow we're all still conscious…" Sera said, looking through her bag. "Sadly, it seems we are out of Oran berries."

"Seven more Pokémon…" Blitz muttered, panting. "What do we do?"

"I brought three Reviver Seeds, one for each of us, just in case," Sera said, frowning somewhat. "But if we all get knocked out and we use them up, then what? Is there a way out of this without needing to use all of them?"

Blitz tried to think of something, when suddenly what appeared to be a blue ball seemed to come rolling fast through the water into the room, and slammed into one of the Staryu, knocking it out. It then stopped rolling, revealing itself to be a round blue mouse Pokémon with a thin black tail with a small blue ball on it.

"Why don't you guys pick on someone your own type?" the Marill said, smirking as she slammed her tail against one of the remaining two Staryu, knocking it into the other and simultaneously knocking both of them out. "Come on; show me what you've got!"

With the wild Pokémon turning their attention to the newly arrived Marill, the rescue team took the opportunity to make their moves. First, Sera and Chiaki teamed up using Quick Attack and Double Slap respectively to knock out the remaining Chinchou. Blitz meanwhile charged up some electricity, and knocked out one of the two Qwilfish with his Spark attack.

The Qwilfish and the Horsea both tried to attack the Marill, but the aqua mouse Pokémon just snickered as she dodged both of their attacks without much difficulty, and then slammed her tail against them, so Blitz could finish them by pressing his electrified paws against them.

"Whew, looks like I caught up to you guys just in time!" the Marill said, swimming up to the rescue team.

"You certainly did," Sera responded, sighing in relief. "Thanks."

"No problem!" the Marill replied, grinning.

"You… remind me of someone," Chiaki said, curiously looking at the Marill.

"Yeah, the way she fought…" Blitz replied, before realizing something. "Wait… Azure? Is that you?"

"Yep!" the Marill responded, giggling a little as she swam in a circle around her three friends. "As you can see, I've evolved!"

"Cool," Chiaki said, smiling at Azure. "I like your new look!"

"Thanks!" Azure replied, smiling. "So, how about we all keep moving onto the next floor?"

* * *

With Azure's help, they managed to get through the next floor without having to use up their Reviver Seeds, gradually regaining their energy as they moved along. As they reached the final floor, they walked amongst themselves as they looked for the stairs leading out of the dungeon.

"How did you know we were down here?" Blitz asked, glancing back at Azure.

"Bow told me," Azure responded. "While I was training at the dojo, she came over and told me you guys would be in trouble here, so I hurried up to the rescue team HQ and asked Kala to send me where she went you."

"I see," Blitz replied.

"And then, when I got there, this Floatzel dude offered to give me a ride, and so he took me out to where he dropped you guys off, and then I went down here to look for you," Azure explained. "I decided to go straight here, since I knew you'd be here from what Bow had told me."

"Cool," Chiaki responded, smiling at Azure. "So, what is your new body like?"

"Well, I like it a lot, although I'm still getting used to it," Azure responded, looking at her stubby hands. "For one thing, I have hands now, and my body is less bouncy."

"I guess you were training at the dojo in order to get used to fighting in your new body?" Blitz asked.

"Correct," Azure responded, smirking. "I've found that while the blue thing on my tail got smaller as the rest of my body got bigger, I can still hit pretty hard with it!"

"That's nice," Chiaki replied.

"Also, my ears allow me to hear much better now," Azure explained, glancing up at her round ears. "I can hear things from pretty far away, which was how I managed to figure out where you were once I got to the same floor you guys were on!"

"Wow, that's really cool!" Chiaki responded.

"I know, right?" Azure replied, grinning.

"Guys, I can see the stairs!" Sera said, wagging her tail happily. "Come on!"

* * *

The four Pokémon exited the mystery dungeon, and looked around. From what Stella and Bow had said, the crystal they had seen was somewhere around here.

"Anyone see a whirlpool?" Sera asked, looking around.

"Uh… Is it that vortex thing over there?" Chiaki said, pointing to a large whirlpool that seemed to be coming up from a chasm.

"Wow, the crystal is somewhere at the bottom of that thing?" Sera asked. "How is anyone supposed to even get to it?"

"I believe there's a certain water type attack that might allow one to do that…" Blitz responded, looking over at Azure. "You wouldn't happen to know that attack, would you?"

"Nope, sorry," Azure replied, shrugging slightly.

"Well, looks like there's not much we can do here, then," Sera said, glancing around.

"… So, what do we do now?" Azure asked.

* * *

**End of Chapter 19**


	20. There was no way I was missing out on that!

* * *

Princess Blithe cheerfully swam around in circles, while her brother prince Somber was quietly brooding in the corner. She was certain someone would come to save them soon; they just had to wait a little longer. As she cheerfully hummed to herself while swimming around, she noticed a certain Alomomola swimming towards their cell, carrying a few blue and purple gummis.

"Thought I'd bring you some gummis," Sophie said in a bored tone, placing the gummis on the floors where Blithe could reach them and pull them in through the bars with her tentacles. "Don't eat them up all at once."

"Yay! Thanks, Soapy!" Blithe responded, happily picking up the gummis.

"It's _Sophie_ ," the Alomomola replied, looking rather annoyed.

As Sophie swam away, Blithe swam over to her brother, showing him the gummis.

"Look, Somber! Soapy brought us our favorite gummis!" Blithe said.

"She did that just because these guys need us alive," Somber responded, taking one of the purple gummis. "Once they've gotten what they want, they'll get rid of us."

"Oh, cheer up!" Blithe replied, smiling at her brother. "I'm sure a rescue team is coming to rescue us as we speak!"

Blithe happily began eating one of the blue gummis, while Somber slowly began eating the purple gummi. While the Frillish prince wouldn't admit it, the taste of the purple gummi did lift his moods, even if it was only a little.

* * *

Out by the Radiant Reef, Sera, Blitz, Chiaki and Azure were still staring into the whirlpool, being careful not to get too close as they tried to figure out what they were going to do now. They knew a crystal from the Axis Tower was located somewhere at the bottom of the chasm the whirlpool was blocking off, but had no means of getting there.

"Hmm… Maybe one of those underwater rescue teams knows the move?" Sera asked, figuring that it would only make sense for the rescue teams of the deep branch to know the attack that could allow them to deal with the whirlpool.

"Probably," Blitz responded, having reached the same conclusion. "Odds are one of those higher ranked rescue teams, like the one we met with earlier, might have at least one Pokémon that knows what to do."

"But aren't they out looking for the missing prince and princess?" Chiaki pointed out. "How are we supposed to find them and bring them here?"

"Hmm… What exactly happened to this prince and princess you're talking about?" Azure asked.

"They were kidnapped, and some Pokémon is apparently holding them for ransom," Blitz explained.

"Ah, well in _that_ case, finding them shouldn't be too difficult!" Azure responded, grinning.

"Huh?" the other three Pokémon said in unison.

"Well, bad guys tend to hang out in dark places, right?" Azure replied, smirking. "So, if we head into the deeper, darker parts of this ocean, we might come across one of the rescue teams that are searching for the kidnapped Pokémon and the kidnappers' hideout!"

"Are you sure about that, Azure?" Blitz asked, rubbing his forelegs together. "While you may be onto something, your logic seems a bit flawed..."

"Maybe, but I don't see any of you three coming up with anything better," Azure responded.

"I guess that's true," Sera replied. "We don't really have any better leads in regards to where to look…"

"So, let's try my idea, then!" Azure said, grinning. "Trust me; I'm _sure_ there will be at least one rescue team there."

"Oh, okay, let's go," Blitz responded, sighing.

And so, the four began swimming away from the Radiant Reef and the whirlpool, and began heading towards the darker areas in the deeper parts of the Sapphire Sea.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the underwater cave, the Tentacruel was attempting to come up with a plan for how to deal with any rescue teams that might come across their hideout. All he had was a vague idea of defeating the rescue team, and then relocating to a different area. Except how would they get to another area unnoticed, not to mention the problem that they didn't even have another location in mind that they could relocate to if something went wrong?

"Still trying to think of a way to deal with the possible rescue team threat?" the Starmie asked, snickering a little. "I can't believe you haven't just given up and delegated the task of coming up with such a plan to me yet."

"Shut up, you oversized purple throwing star," the Tentacruel responded. "I didn't ask you for your opinion."

"Does anyone want to hear my opinion?" Missile asked, smiling at the other two.

"Your opinion on what?" the Starmie inquired. "Do you even know what we are talking about?"

"… Are we talking about yogurt?" the Sharpedo responded. "I like mine with fruit at the bottom!"

"And that's why _you're_ not in charge," the Starmie replied, turning away.

"Both of you, shut up," the Tentacruel said, glaring at the two.

"What's going on in here?" Sophie asked, as she swam back into the room.

"Not much, Soapy," the Tentacruel responded, rubbing the two big red orbs on the sides of his bell with two of his many tentacles. "These two idiots are getting on my nerves."

"Which two idiots?" Missile asked, looking around. "There's nobody else but us in here!"

"I see…" Sophie replied, rolling her eyes.

"I'm just saying that I could come up with a plan much quicker if you guys would let _me_ be the leader of this group," the Starmie said.

"If you're _so_ intelligent, then how come you've barely done anything to contribute to this plan?" Sophie asked, giving the Starmie an annoyed look.

"I came up with the trap we used to trap those two," the Starmie responded. "And I helped out when we set it into motion, didn't I?"

"And _after_ that?" Sophie asked. "Seriously, even _Missile_ has been more helpful than you have!"

"I like to help!" Missile said, grinning.

"Oh, fine," the Starmie replied. "Since you admit to so _desperately_ needing my help with your plans, I will provide a list of locations where we can move to if any of those rescue teams force us out of our hideout."

The Starmie swam into another part of the cave, causing the Tentacruel to sigh in relief.

"Thank you, Soapy," the Tentacruel said. "Now I can finally have some peace and quiet while sorting out our plans…"

"You're welcome," Sophie responded, looking somewhat annoyed. "But seriously, how many times do I have to tell you guys? It's _Sophie_!"

"Isn't that what he said?" Missile asked, tilting his entire body quizzically.

* * *

Sera, Blitz, Chiaki and Azure were now searching through a darker area of Sapphire Sea, Blitz having to gradually increase the brightness of his glowing fur as things gradually got darker the further they went. So far, they hadn't seen any signs of any other rescue teams.

"Maybe this was a bad idea…" Blitz muttered, looking around nervously.

"Hey, since we're here, let's keep looking around some more first before giving up," Azure responded, glancing around. "Surely there _has_ to be at least one rescue team around these parts… I mean, if I were a bad guy, a place like this is where I'd put my hideout."

"Unless the bad guys thought it was too obvious, and put it somewhere else?" Chiaki commented. "Or, they did put it here, because the rescue teams thought it would be too obvious to put it here, and thus they haven't bothered to check this area yet?"

"Again, do either of you guys have any better ideas?" Azure asked, looking around at the other three Pokémon. "… So, let's keep exploring a little more."

The four Pokémon continued moving forward, when suddenly the scenery changed to that of a dark underwater maze, with many rocky walls.

"… Did we just enter a mystery dungeon?" Sera asked, looking around.

"Yeah, looks like it…" Blitz responded.

"Well… At least we've all recovered our energy from the last one," Sera said, taking a quick look at their items. "And we still got some good items here, even if we're a little low on healing items."

"Don't worry," Azure responded, smiling. "There are probably some healing items in this dungeon for us to find."

"Let's keep going then," Sera said.

The four Pokémon moved further into the mystery dungeon, fighting more wild water Pokémon and gathering more items. As she added the items to their inventory, Sera noticed that they had somehow ended up with quite a few Quick Seeds. She wasn't sure if they even needed that many, but figured that as long as there was still room for more items, it wasn't really a problem.

They continued going deeper and deeper into the dungeon, unsure of what they would find on the other side…

* * *

After ten floors of tough battles against wild water type Pokémon, gathering up some random items and general exploring, the four Pokémon found themselves in front of a hole leading into what appeared to be an underwater cave. The four were unsure of whether to enter it, or continue exploring another part of the area.

"I get a bad feeling about this place…" Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together.

"That's a good sign that we're on the right track, isn't it?" Azure asked.

"That's… an interesting way to look at it, I guess…" Blitz responded.

"Still, we don't know what awaits us if we enter the cave," Sera said, looking around. "Then again, I suppose we also don't know what awaits us if we explore more of this area and _don't_ enter the cave…"

"So, how do we decide, then?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Hmm… Let me try something," Azure said.

Azure closed her eyes and tried to use her ears to determine which way to go. She listened for anything that might be worth investigating. After a few moments, she managed to pick up on something.

"I think… I hear voices coming from inside the cave," Azure said, peeking inside the cave entrance. "Can't hear what they're saying, though."

"Okay…" Sera responded, glancing around. "So… Should we go investigate that, or…?"

"Sounds risky…" Blitz commented, rubbing his forelegs together.

"So?" Azure asked, shrugging slightly. "It's not like we've got any other leads."

And with that, Azure swam inside the cave before the others had the chance to stop her. After exchanging a few concerned glances, the rescue team went in after her.

* * *

The Starmie was in the process of making the list of other possible places they could relocate to if a rescue team were to find their hideout, when it suddenly sensed something with its psychic powers. The ruby in the center of its body flashed, as the Starmie realized what it had picked up on.

"Intruders…" the Starmie muttered, the ruby flashing once more.

"What!?" The Tentacruel said, turning towards the Starmie.

"It's a rescue team, although they don't seem particularly powerful," the Starmie explained, the ruby flashing once more. "From what I can tell, it's just some surface dwellers that don't know what they've gotten themselves into."

"I don't _care_ who they are!" the Tentacruel responded. "Just get rid of them!"

"I'll get right on that," the Starmie replied, turning to Missile. "Come on, Missile. Let's give those intruders a warm welcome."

"Ooh, sounds nice!" Missile responded, swimming alongside the Starmie as the two headed into one of the tunnels. "What kind of snacks should we serve?"

"Not _that_ kind of warm welcome," the Starmie replied.

* * *

Sera, Blitz, Chiaki and Azure swam deeper into the cave, the rescue team having caught up to the Marill by pointing out to her that they couldn't swim as fast as she could, and without Blitz to provide some light, Azure wouldn't be able to see very well in the darkness if she went too far ahead in this area. As they continued going further, Azure's ears began to pick up on the sound of cheerful laughter.

"This way, guys," Azure said, pointing in the direction the giggling was coming from.

The four Pokémon continued swimming down the tunnel, following the sound of laughter. Eventually, they reached the cell where Somber and Blithe were kept.

"Yay! It's a rescue team!" Blithe said, cheerfully twirling around. "We're saved!"

"Are you sure?" Somber asked, looking over his shoulder at the four Pokémon. "They don't look particularly powerful… They probably can't get us out of here."

"You two must be the royal twins we heard about from one of the underwater rescue teams earlier," Sera said, curiously looking at the two jellyfish behind the bars.

"Guess my intuition was right," Azure commented, looking around. "Although, I expected there'd be at least _one_ rescue team around here…"

"Well, _we're_ here," Chiaki pointed out.

"Oh, that's right…" Azure responded, blinking. "I… guess that counts?"

"Are you going to save us now?" Blithe asked, smiling at the rescue team.

"We would, but…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "How do we do that?"

"I don't think I'm strong enough to break these bars," Azure said, examining the bars. "And we don't have a key, so…"

"We're going to be stuck in here forever," Somber muttered, staring at a wall. "There's no way we're ever getting out…"

"Hey, relax," Sera said, glancing around. "We'll think of something, okay?"

"Oh, don't mind him!" Blithe responded, smiling cheerfully. "My brother is just being silly!"

"What _are_ we supposed to do, though?" Blitz asked.

"We're not going to let you do anything," a voice said, and all six Pokémon turned to see a certain Starmie and Sharpedo emerging from the other direction.

"I knew we were doomed," Somber commented, looking at the Sharpedo and Starmie with a rather bored look on his face. "The rescue team doesn't stand a chance against them."

"Don't listen to him!" Blithe shouted, giggling a little. "I know you can take them down!"

Blitz and Sera exchanged nervous glances, while Chiaki and Azure assumed a fighting position. The ruby in the Starmie's center flashed as he prepared to deal with the intruders, while Missile was just there next to him with a goofy grin on his face.

"Blitz, what do we do?" Sera asked, hoping her teammate would have any ideas of how they could get themselves out of this situation.

"Hmm… I don't know…" Blitz responded, observing the opponents. "They look tough, but… if we use the items we have wisely, then we _might_ have a shot."

"Good enough for me!" Azure said, smirking. "Let's take them down!"

"Not if we take you down first!" the Starmie responded, the second star on his back spinning fast as he began charging up an electric attack.

The Starmie then fired a bolt of bright blue electricity from the ruby in his center, aiming for Azure.

"Watch out!" Chiaki said, swimming in front of Azure and using Detect to block the attack.

"Whew, thanks," Azure responded, sighing in relief. "Hey, can I borrow some Quick Seeds? I sort of have an idea."

"Sure," Sera replied, getting three Quick Seeds out from the bag and handing them to Azure with her tail.

"Thanks," Azure responded, smirking as she ate the seeds and then with the increased speed swam up to Missile and carefully tapped him on the nose before quickly swimming away. "Tag, you're it!"

"Ooh, I love this game!" Missile said, before cheerfully chasing after the Marill.

While Azure kept the Sharpedo distracted, the other three Pokémon had to figure out how to deal with the Starmie. Chiaki managed to keep his Detect up as the Starmie began trying to hit him with Psychic attacks, but was uncertain of how long he could maintain it. Luckily Sera and Blitz didn't waste any time, Sera using Helping Hand to power up her teammates and Blitz trying to find an item to throw at the Starmie to distract it long enough for them to get some hits in.

Azure seemed to be enjoying herself as she let the Sharpedo chase after her, even if it was a bit difficult to keep swimming faster than him even with the speed boost from the Quick Seeds. However, as Missile started closing in on her, she realized that the effects of the Quick Seeds were starting to wear off.

"Uh-oh," Azure said to herself as she realized she was slowing down.

"I've got you now!" Missile cheerfully announced, and used Aqua Jet to propel himself towards the Marill.

Azure quickly moved to the side, while Missile was moving too fast to slow down and continued shooting forward until he crashed into a wall.

"Ooh, that must've hurt," Azure said, wincing slightly.

Azure turned around to check on how the rescue team was doing. While they were making a good effort, the three were certainly having some difficulty fighting the Starmie. The Starmie's long-ranged attacks made it difficult for them to get closer to attack, and they had to move quickly to dodge the various attacks.

"Hmm, I've got to help them somehow…" Azure said to herself, thinking about it for a moment before she suddenly heard something moving behind her.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Missile asked, seeming somewhat dizzy, but otherwise didn't seem too fazed by hitting the wall. "The game's not over yet!"

"Huh?" Azure responded, before smirking as she thought of something. "Oh, right! Come and catch me, if you can!"

"I'll get you this time!" Missile said, swimming somewhat wobbly towards the Marill.

With what was left of her speed boost, Azure quickly began moving towards the other four Pokémon, occasionally glancing behind her to make sure Missile was able to keep up with her. She carefully observed the fight between her friends and the Starmie, trying to get closer and to find just the right moment.

"Hey, aren't you going to come and get me?" Azure asked, turning around and wiggling her tail at the Sharpedo. "Come on, you've got a clear shot here!"

"Ooh, I wish I had a cute tail like that…" Missile muttered, distractedly watching Azure's tail for a few moments.

Sera, Blitz and Chiaki were struggling to move fast enough to dodge the various psychic, electric and ice attacks fired from the Starmie's ruby. Blithe was watching the battle, while Somber didn't really seem to care.

"Looks like they could use some help," Blithe commented, glancing over her shoulder at her brooding brother. "Maybe we can do something?"

"I doubt it," Somber responded, glancing at his sister. "Besides, it doesn't really matter what _we_ do, since we're doomed anyways."

"Oh, stop being so silly and come help me!" Blithe said, cheerfully grabbing one of her brother's tentacles and pulling him over. "All right, let's do this!"

Blithe and Somber's eyes began turning dark as they both started charging up ghost energy for an attack. They then both simultaneously fired black beams of ghost energy from their eyes at the Starmie, but their combined Night Shade attacks didn't seem to do much other than annoy the Starmie.

"And just _what_ do you two think you're doing?" the Starmie asked, his ruby flashing in annoyance as he turned towards the Frillish.

"Told you it wasn't going to work," Somber said to Blithe, leaning against the bars with a resigned look on his face.

The Starmie realized he was leaving himself open to attack as long as he faced the Frillish, and was confused upon realizing his opponents didn't seem to be taking the opportunity to attack. He quickly turned around to see the three of them, as well as a certain Marill swim out of a path as a certain Sharpedo sped through the water towards him. The Starmie only had time to register what was about to happen, before Missile collided with him and continued propelling them forward until they both crashed into a wall.

"Awesome! It worked!" Azure said, grinning. "Can't wait to tell Frederick about how I beat a psychic type by hitting it with a shark!"

"Good job, Azure!" Chiaki commented, smiling at the Marill.

"So… Now that that's over with, how do we free those two?" Sera asked, looking over at the two still imprisoned jellyfish.

"Maybe one of those baddies has a key?" Azure suggested, and began swimming down to the two water types.

However, she quickly turned around and swam away as Missile suddenly began moving and turning around. Apparently, only the Starmie had been knocked unconscious by the impact, while Missile was still up, albeit seeming rather disoriented.

"Ugh… That wasn't fun…" Missile mumbled, before glancing back at the unconscious Starmie with a slightly confused look on his face. "Is he it now?"

"I suppose he would be, if he hadn't fainted," Azure said, shrugging slightly. "But hey, why don't you give it another try? The effect of the Quick Seeds has worn off, so you can probably catch me this time!"

"All right…" Missile responded, trying to keep his balance. "Third time's the charm!"

Azure swam in front of the locked door to the cell, and the Frillish quickly caught on to Azure's plan and moved to the side. Once Missile attempted his Aqua Jet attack for the third time, Azure moved out of the way once again, causing the Sharpedo to ram into the door on the cell, knocking it down.

"Yay! We're free!" Blithe exclaimed, cheerfully twirling around.

"For _now_ , at least…" Somber muttered, glancing around.

"Hehe… I can feel my teeth growing back…" Missile mumbled, chuckling a little before losing consciousness.

"Well, let's get out of here before he wakes up again," Azure said, sighing in relief. "Man, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to dodge him a third time, but I pulled it off!"

"And you did it awesomely!" Blithe responded, swimming up and happily wrapping her tentacles around the Marill, hugging her tightly.

"You're welcome," Azure replied, trying to push the Frillish off her. "But loosen your grip a little; you're kind of hurting me."

"Come on, guys," Sera said, motioning for the other Pokémon to follow her further into the cave. "We need to get moving!"

"Isn't the exit the other way?" Blitz asked, quickly glancing around as the others began following Sera. "… Or is it? I could've sworn that's the way we came from, but now I'm not so sure…"

"Blitz, hurry up!" Sera said, looking back at him. "We need your glowing fur to see the way ahead!"

"Oh, right!" Blitz responded, quickly swimming up to the others. "Hope there's a way out of this cave up ahead…"

* * *

The six Pokémon eventually reached a larger room within the cave, with a few tunnels they could swim through. However, they weren't sure which one would lead to an exit. And before they could figure it out, many gray tentacles suddenly shot out from above them and formed a cage around the six of them.

"Hey, what's happening?" Sera asked, glancing around as the tentacles surrounded them, before looking up and noticing the Tentacruel above them.

"I knew we wouldn't be able to escape from here…" Somber muttered, not really seeming to be alarmed by the situation.

"The blue Frillish is correct," the Tentacruel said, snickering. "You are not going anywhere."

"Don't be so sure about that!" Blithe responded, grinning. "We've already beaten the Starmie and the Sharpedo!"

"Shut up!" the Tentacruel replied, before noticing that a certain Alomomola was starting to make her way towards one of the tunnels. "Soapy! Where do you think you're going!?"

"Well, since these guys found our hideout, and apparently beat those other guys, I can already tell things aren't going to end in our favor here," Sophie responded, glancing back for a moment before entering one of the tunnels. "Also, I'm tired of you guys getting my name wrong, so I'm out of here! … Good luck!"

"Soapy, get back here, you coward!" the Tentacruel shouted as the Alomomola fled. "Ugh… Whatever… I don't need her help to take care of such a weak looking rescue team!"

"Who are you calling "weak"?" Sera asked, glaring up at the Tentacruel.

"Sure wish I had another shark to launch at this guy now," Azure muttered, kicking one of the tentacles.

"Quiet!" the Tentacruel shouted, seeming rather annoyed. "Perhaps a taste of one of my poison attacks will shut you all up…"

Blitz realized they had to get out of there quickly, before the Tentacruel could fire his attack at them while they were unable to avoid it. While he normally didn't like using his fangs against other Pokémon, he decided to make an exception this time and bit down on one of the Tentacruel's tentacles. The Tentacruel screeched in pain and flinched for a moment, allowing the group of six to get out of the tentacle cage.

"Good job, Blitz!" Sera said, grinning.

"Thanks," Blitz responded, wiping his tongue with his paw in an attempt to get rid of the taste.

"Now, let's take this guy down!" Sera shouted, using Helping Hand to power up her allies.

"I'll try out one of my newest attacks!" Chiaki said, smiling.

Chiaki then closed his eyes for a moment, and clenched his paw. The paw began glowing, and shot out star shaped rays at the Tentacruel.

"Nice shot, Chiaki!" Azure said, smirking as she charged at the Tentacruel and prepared to slam her tail against him.

"Enough!" the Tentacruel exclaimed, and grabbed Azure's tail with one of his many tentacles before it could strike his bell.

"Hey, let me go!" Azure shouted, trying to pull her tail out of the Tentacruel's grip.

The Tentacruel began extending his many, many tentacles, trying to grab onto the other five Pokémon. They moved as fast as they could through the water in an attempt to dodge the tentacles, but it was proving difficult when there was so many of them.

"We need to find a way to stop him from waving those around!" Sera said, glancing towards Blitz. "Do you have any ideas?"

"First of all, cover your eyes!" Blitz responded, before intensifying the glow of his fur to a brightness that momentarily blinded the Tentacruel and made it loosen its grip on Azure's tail enough for her to free herself.

"Thanks!" Azure said, grinning.

"You're welcome," Blitz responded, before turning back to Sera. "Sera, do we have any more Quick Seeds?"

"I think so…" Sera replied, checking their items. "There's not many left, though."

"Do you think it's enough to- Sera! Watch out!" Blitz quickly swam over and pushed Sera out of the way as a blob of poisonous sludge nearly hit her.

"Hey, leave my friends alone!" Chiaki shouted, and fired more star shaped rays from his fist at the Tentacruel.

"Sera, you okay?" Blitz asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sera responded, using Helping Hand to power up her teammates some more. "Thanks."

Azure and Chiaki continued doing their best to keep the Tentacruel busy, while Blitz attempted to figure out how to distribute the remaining Quick Seeds.

"Only three left…" Blitz muttered, thinking for a moment. "What would be the best way to use these?"

In the meantime, the Tentacruel had managed to force Chiaki and Azure up against a wall, using his tentacles to trap them. Chiaki used Detect to protect himself as the Tentacruel began firing more of his long ranged attacks at him and Azure. Chiaki just hoped he could keep himself and Azure safe until Sera and Blitz had decided on their plan.

"Looks like Chiaki and Azure are in a bit of a pinch," Sera said, glancing over at them. "We better make up our minds fast!"

"All right, I think I have an idea…" Blitz responded, whispering something into Sera's ear.

"Hmm, sounds good," Sera replied, nodding her head.

"Can we help too?" Blithe asked, swimming over to them while dragging Somber with her.

"Shouldn't you two be hiding?" Blitz responded, looking at the two.

"Oh, we may not be as strong as you guys, but if there's any way we can help, we'll gladly do it!" Blithe replied, giggling a little. "Isn't that right, Somber?"

"Does it matter if we help?" Somber asked, still in the same morose tone as before. "We're probably going to be defeated anyways."

"You're so silly!" Blithe responded, cheerfully hugging her brother. "Come on, let's help the rescue team!"

The Tentacruel was firing Water Pulse attacks at Chiaki, knowing the Mienfoo wouldn't be able to dodge them for much longer. Azure was preparing to take the attack for Chiaki once his Detect failed; knowing that being a water type herself would allow her to resist the attack somewhat. However, she then noticed Blithe and Somber swimming up behind the Tentacruel.

"What are you two doing?" Azure asked. "You should let us handle this!"

"Hmm?" the Tentacruel said, ceasing his attack for a moment and turning slightly to get a look at what was behind him. "Ah, there you are."

"That's right!" Blithe shouted, cheerfully waving a tentacle. "Come and get us!"

"This won't end well…" Somber muttered, not seeming to have much faith in their plan.

The Tentacruel snickered, and began turning around to grab the Frillish twins, allowing for Chiaki and Azure to swim away unnoticed. However, before the Tentacruel could wrap his tentacles around them, Blitz used Flash to momentarily blind him once again. The Tentacruel screeched in frustration again, and covered its eyes with a tentacle. Once the brightness had faded somewhat, the Frillish twins were out of sight.

"Where did they go…?" the Tentacruel muttered, looking around.

"Hey!" Azure shouted, swiftly swimming up to the Tentacruel. "This battle's not over yet!"

The Tentacruel attempted to trap Azure again, but the Marill quickly evaded his tentacles, swimming a little faster than she did earlier. Sera and Chiaki swam past as well, also seeming to be swimming faster now. The Tentacruel tried firing off a few Water Pulse attacks at them, but they managed to swiftly dodge his attacks.

"Hmm, where's the fourth one and the Frillish twins?" the Tentacruel said, looking from side to side.

The Tentacruel suddenly cried out in pain as Blitz suddenly rammed into his bell from above, hitting him as hard as he could with his Spark attack. Blue sparks of electricity were still arcing off the Tentacruel even after Blitz's attack was done, and it seemed the jellyfish Pokémon was now having difficulty moving his tentacles.

"Look! It seems he can't move!" Sera said, smirking. "Let's get him!"

Sera swam towards and tackled the Tentacruel at a high speed, seeming a bit surprised at how well she was able to pull off a Quick Attack since it wasn't exactly an attack she was meant to use underwater. Azure followed up with her Rollout attack, striking the Tentacruel while rolling at a high speed, and then hitting him again with more force. Chiaki decided to stick to his Swift attack for now since it let him attack from a distance, and continued firing star shaped rays at the Tentacruel.

Once the other three had finished their attacks, Blitz finished the Tentacruel off with another Spark attack from above. The unconscious Tentacruel sank to the floor, as the Frillish twins came out from their hiding spot.

"You did it!" Blithe exclaimed, swimming up and hugging Blitz tightly. "That was _so_ awesome!"

"Ugh… Thanks…" Blitz responded, wheezing slightly as Blithe squeezed him a bit too tightly. "But don't do that, please… I-I need most of my internal organs to live…"

"I'm just glad the fight's over," Sera said, sighing in relief.

"Yeah, I suppose that battle did take a lot of energy on our part," Azure commented, grinning. "That was certainly some awesome teamwork we pulled off at the end there, though!"

"Everyone okay in here?" another voice called out, and the six Pokémon turned to see the Lanturn from the rescue team Sera and her teammates had met with earlier.

"Oh, we're fine!" Chiaki responded, smiling and waving at the Lanturn.

"Well, that's good to hear," the Lanturn replied, smiling as his teammates swam over carrying Missile and the Starmie. "It also looks like you managed to get most of the work here done before we got here, so good job!"

"Thanks!" Sera responded, wagging her tail happily.

"There was one more Pokémon working with the Tentacruel," Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together. "But she chose to flee rather than stay and fight."

"Hmm, I see," the Lanturn responded. "What species?"

"An Alomomola, sir," Blitz replied.

"All right, then," the Lanturn responded, nodding slightly. "We'll keep an eye out for her."

"Finding her probably won't be easy," Somber commented, looking away. "There are many Alomomola in the sea, after all."

"Dude, can't you cheer up a little?" Azure asked, giving Somber a somewhat annoyed look. "I mean, we just saved you and your sister! At least show some gratitude, if nothing else!"

"Oh, don't listen to him!" Blithe said, cheerfully twirling around. "We're both very grateful that you saved us with your awesome rescue team skills!"

"Anyways, my team will take it from here," the Lanturn said, as his teammates picked up the Tentacruel. "We'll bring these outlaws in to the deep sea police, and escort the Frillish twins back home to their parents."

"However, we will make sure you are rewarded for helping us with this case," the Lumineon said, with a friendly smile. "If there's anything we can help with, let us know!"

"Hmm…" Sera said, exchanging glances with her teammates. "Well… Do any of you happen to know the Whirlpool attack?"

* * *

After leaving the cave and dropping off the outlaws at the deep sea police force's office, the two rescue teams and the Frillish twins headed over to where the whirlpool and the third crystal was. The Kingdra went down to the whirlpool in order to retrieve the crystal, while the other eight Pokémon waited for the sea horse Pokémon to emerge from the abyss.

"Is he okay down there?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Don't worry, he can handle it," the Lanturn responded. "He knows what to do when it comes to whirlpools."

"That's a pretty big vortex," Blithe commented, watching it intently. "Look at it going round, and round, and round, and round…"

The Pokémon continued observing the whirlpool, and soon noticed that it seemed to be getting smaller, and eventually it subsided completely, at which point the Kingdra swam up from the abyss, carrying the blue gem in his tail.

"All right, got it," the Kingdra said, handing the crystal over to Chiaki. "Here you go."

"Thanks!" Chiaki responded, smiling at the Kingdra.

"So, that's three of the Axis Tower crystals retrieved," Sera said, grinning.

"It's so pretty!" Blithe commented, giggling a little.  
"There's still five more out there, right?" Somber said. "And if those aren't found… we're all doomed."  
"You really are a "glass half-empty" kind of guy, aren't you?" Azure responded.  
"Well, thanks again for your co-operation," the Lanturn said, smiling at the rescue team before turning to the Frillish twins. "All right, time to take you two back home."

"Okay!" Blithe responded, cheerfully waving to Sera and her friends as she and Somber began swimming away with the underwater rescue team. "Bye-bye!"

"Try not to get into _too much_ danger on your next missions," Somber said, half-heartedly waving a tentacle.

And after waving good-bye to the underwater rescue team and the royal Frillish twins, Sera and her friends decided it was time to return to the surface and hand the crystal they had retrieved over to Stella for safe-keeping.

* * *

It felt good to be back on the surface, even if took them a little while to get their fur dry after getting out of the water and back on land. After heading back to Fenix Town, and dropping off the crystal at Stella's house, the four Pokémon decided to head over to the café to relax a little before calling it a day.

"We sure had a lot of fun today!" Chiaki said, smiling at his friends.

"Well, it was certainly quite the adventure…" Blitz responded, sighing. "I'm pretty tired from all that swimming and fighting underwater, though…"

"Yeah, me too," Sera replied, nodding her head slightly. "Maybe I'll allow myself to sleep in tomorrow…"

"And Azure, I'm really glad you showed up when you did!" Chiaki said. "We probably couldn't have done all this without you!"

"Hey, it was the perfect opportunity for me to try out the new moves and such that I gained when I evolved into action!" Azure responded, grinning. "There was no way I was missing out on that!"

"Well, I look forward to seeing more of what you can do now," Chiaki commented, smiling. "We should go on another adventure together again soon!"

"Oh, yeah, about that…" Azure said, nervously tapping her hands together. "There's something I kind of wanted to ask…"

"Oh? What is it?" Sera responded, as she, Blitz and Chiaki all looked at Azure expectantly.

"Well… I was wondering…" Azure took a deep breath, before finally managing to ask the question that had been on her mind. "Can I join your rescue team?"

"Huh? You want to join our rescue team?" Sera asked, seeming a bit surprised.

"Well, we've had so much fun when going on adventures together, and so I've been thinking about becoming a full time member for some time now," Azure explained.

"Why haven't you mentioned this before?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"For some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to ask about it," Azure replied, chuckling a little. "Probably wouldn't expect _me_ of all Pokémon to have trouble with that, huh?"

"I admit, that seems a bit unlike you," Blitz responded.

"Yeah…" Azure replied, clearing her throat. "But anyways, now that I've evolved, I feel that I'm ready. So please, let me join your rescue team!"

"What do you guys think?" Chiaki asked, looking to Sera and Blitz with a hopeful look. "She can join, right?"

"Well, the four of us worked pretty well together today," Blitz responded, smiling at Azure. "I guess the experience she already has from previous adventures with us might've helped her figure out what to do so quickly, even though she was in a new body she was still getting used to."

"Good point," Sera said, nodding her head. "If one thinks of it like that, then I guess she's practically a member of our team already!"

"Does that mean I'm in?" Azure asked, grinning while looking expectantly at the other three Pokémon around the table.

"You're in!" Sera responded, grinning and holding out her paw. "Welcome to the team!"

"Yes!" Azure replied, high-fiving Sera. "Oh, this is going to be _so_ awesome!"

"Since you have some skills the rest of us don't have, I have a feeling having you on our team will open up some new opportunities for us," Blitz said, smiling.

"All right, that Silver rank is looking closer than ever now!" Sera commented, grinning. "The four of us will take this rescue team to new heights, I'm sure of it!"

"I bet missions will be even more fun now that Azure is with us!" Chiaki said, cheerfully clapping his paws.

"Aw, thanks guys!" Azure responded, blushing somewhat. "I promise I won't let you guys down!"

And so, Sera's rescue team had earned a new member, and another one of the Axis Tower crystals had been retrieved. It had certainly been a good day for the Bronze rank team, and with the cheerful laughter and conversation between them, one might almost think that those four friends didn't have anything to be concerned about.

It was just too bad that things weren't as well as they seemed.

* * *

**End of Chapter 20**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for following the story so far! While the story is still on-going and I'm not even sure how many chapters there'll be in the end, I kind of feel that this chapter marks the conclusion of the first third of the story. The next chapter will mark the beginning of the next part of the story, where some of the things I'd been building up to will appear.
> 
> Fun fact: In my original plans, Azure wasn't originally going to join the team as an official member until much later in the story. However, with how the story and her character were developing, it only felt natural for her to join at this point in the story.
> 
> Anyways, hope you'll look forward to the next part!


	21. You never told me you had a sister.

* * *

With every new day, there were letters and newspapers containing the latest news and interesting articles to deliver. For Santos the Delibird, there was always much work to do, but he didn't mind. After all, the letters and newspapers couldn't deliver themselves; someone had to do it. And Santos the Delibird was just the right mail-mon for the job. He went around Fenix Town, delivering letters and today's newspaper with the headline letting the readers know that yet another crystal from Axis Tower had been found.

It was important to let the Pokémon know what was happening in their world, and keep them updated on the whole situation regarding the stolen crystals. That way, they would be reassured knowing that rescue teams were sorting the situation out. After finishing his rounds around the main parts of Fenix Town, Santos headed towards the west exit of town to deliver the letters to the Pokémon living just outside of town.

However, as he was making these deliveries, he suddenly noticed a shadow appear over him.

"Excuse me," he heard a female voice say, echoing slightly in a light purr as he felt her breath on his neck.

Santos shivered slightly, and slowly dared himself to turn around and look at who or what was behind him. As he did, he suddenly found himself face to face with a beast with blue and black fur and glowing yellow eyes.

"Hello, little bird," the beast said, gazing down at the small red penguin Pokémon. "You seem to know your way around here."

Santos was shaking and couldn't bring himself to say anything; he barely managed a small stutter under the gaze of the terrifying beast before him. He wanted to run, but was frozen in fear.

"I'm here to visit someone," the beast said, leaning down and grinning widely, giving Santos a good view of her sharp teeth. "Perhaps you could tell which house he lives in?"

After staring right at the sharp teeth that were now in front of his face for a few more seconds, Santos finally managed to get his sound out, and screamed at the top of his lungs as he ran away as fast as his legs could carry him. The Luxray just watched him run away with a confused look on her face.

"… Was it something I said?" the electric lion Pokémon wondered, before shrugging it off. "Oh well, I guess I'll just use my eyes then!"

* * *

Blitz and Chiaki were asleep, but were quickly woken up when they heard the terrified Delibird's screams outside as he ran past their house. Chiaki quickly got onto his feet and looked around, while Blitz still seemed a bit groggy.

"What was that!?" Chiaki said, wondering what could've scared the poor mail-mon so much.

"Someone screaming in terror…?" Blitz muttered tiredly for a moment, before perking his ears up and getting to his feet. "Oh! My mom must be here!"

"Huh?" Chiaki responded, scratching the back of his head.

Blitz walked up to the entrance to the hut to keep an eye out for his mother, and Chiaki curiously followed behind him, wondering what exactly was going on.

"Mom, I'm over here!" Blitz shouted, waving a paw at the Luxray outside.

"Ah, _there_ you are, my little prince!" the Luxray responded, walking up to the stone hut, causing Chiaki to leap back in surprise as he saw her smile, or rather the sharp teeth that were visible when she smiled. "Oh, your mommy has missed you so much! How have you been?"

"I've been doing okay," Blitz replied, smiling back at his mother, although of course his smile wasn't anywhere near as frightening as his mother's. "And you?"

"Oh, I've been fine, more or less," the Luxray responded, still smiling.

"Blitz!" another female, much younger voice called out, as another Shinx suddenly stepped out from behind the Luxray. She was smaller than Blitz, and the fur her hind paws were blue instead of black like Blitz's. She also had a smaller tuft of hair on her head than Blitz did, and was currently smiling sweetly at him. "I've missed you too, big brother!"

"Lita!" Blitz replied, seeming delighted to see his little sister again. "It's so good to see you again!"

"So… That's Blitz's little sister…?" Chiaki said, watching as the younger Shinx walked up to her brother and affectionately nuzzled him, before Blitz's mother suddenly moved her grinning face into view, startling Chiaki once more. "Yikes!"

"Hello there!" Blitz's mother said, not seeming to realize she'd frightened him. "What's your name?"

"Uh… It's Chiaki," Chiaki responded meekly. "It's n-nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too!" Blitz's mother replied, nodding her head slightly. "I am really glad to meet one of my son's friends!"

Chiaki nervously smiled back at the Luxray, realizing that she was actually quite friendly, even if she had an intimidating gaze paired with a set of fangs that together could probably even send shivers down a Beartic's spine.

"So, what brings you here?" Blitz asked, looking at the two female electric lions. "I wasn't expecting either of you."

"Well, I'm sorry about that," Blitz's mother responded. "But I need someone to look after Lita for a few days as I'll be going on a little trip with some of the other members of the pride."

"Ah, I see," Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly. "Food supply's running short?"

"Exactly," Blitz's mother responded, nodding her head. "I know this is short notice, but you wouldn't mind looking after Lita for a few days, would you? She has really missed you, and I was thinking this might be a good time for the two of to spend some time together…"

"Of course I'll look after her!" Blitz replied, smiling warmly. "I've really missed spending time with my little sis!"

"Thank you, big brother!" Lita responded, jumping for joy.

"All right, it's settled then!" Blitz's mother said, leaning down at nuzzling her daughter. "Be good and listen to your big brother, okay?"

"Okay!" Lita responded, nodding her head. "I'll be good, and listen to big brother!"

"I know you will, my little princess," the Luxray replied, before turning back to Blitz. "So, I guess you can show her around town, tell her about what you've been doing and introduce her to your friends."

"Yeah, sure," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together for a moment.

"Well, I guess I should get going then," Blitz and Lita's mother replied, turning around and getting ready to leave. "Have fun, you two!"

"Bye mom," Blitz said, waving good-bye to his mother. "Good luck on the trip!"

"Bye-bye!" Lita said, also waving good-bye. "Try not to scare any small children on your way home!"

"Uh… Bye!" Chiaki said, joining the two siblings in waving good-bye, until the Luxray was out of sight. "Whew… That was unexpected…"

"Yeah…" Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

"Why'd you rub the rings on your legs together like that when my mother talked about you introducing me to your friends?" Lita asked, looking up at her brother.

"Huh?" Blitz responded, meeting his sister's gaze.

"I know you do that when you're nervous, you know," Lita replied, smiling at her brother.

"Uh… I do?" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Uh-huh!" Lita said, nodding her head. "So, what's wrong with me meeting your friends?"

"Um… T-There's nothing wrong, really…" Blitz responded, nervously glancing around.

Even Chiaki could tell something wasn't right here, but he had no idea what was going on with his friend right now. It seemed like Blitz was hiding something, but Chiaki couldn't think of any reason why Blitz would be keeping secrets from his friends. He decided that he would have to ask Sera about it later. After all, Sera was Blitz's best friend, and so Chiaki figured that she would likely know if anything was bothering Blitz.

"Relax; I won't embarrass you or anything!" Lita said, smiling up at her brother. "Come on, let's go!"

"O-Okay…" Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "Chiaki and I will show you around town."

"Yay!" Lita replied, and ran outside. "Let's go! Let's go!"

"Hey, wait for us!" Blitz shouted, and quickly ran after his sister along with Chiaki.

* * *

It didn't take long before the three of them reached the town plaza, where the Pokémon were going about their business as usual. Lita excitedly looked around, while Blitz explained to her what each shop was for. Chiaki couldn't help but smile a little as he watched the two Shinx siblings, the way Blitz was showing her around town kind of reminded him of the time when Blitz gave him a tour around town the day after they first met.

"This place is very different from home!" Lita said, looking around in awe. "This place has lots of buildings and shops, while Lightning Plateau doesn't really have any of that!"

"Yeah," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "It's pretty different, but one gets used to it."

"Oh? What was your old home like?" Chiaki asked.

"We live in a cave!" Lita responded, smiling. "But it's a really nice cave, so it kind of feels like a house! Blitz and I even have our own rooms!"

"Cool!" Chiaki replied, smiling back at the younger Shinx.

"The Lightning Plateau is Luxray territory, so Blitz and I didn't often see other species of Pokémon around," Lita said, looking around at some of the other Pokémon wandering around town. "There were plenty of other Shinx for us to play with, though."

"Sounds nice," Chiaki responded.

"Oh, it is!" Lita replied. "Or at least, things were really great, until our father lef-"

"Hey, Lita," Blitz said, interrupting his sister before she could finish her sentence. "If you don't pay attention, you'll fall behind!"

"Huh?" Lita responded, tilting her head slightly. "I wasn't falling behind! I'm right next to you, see?"

"Well, that's good," Blitz replied. "Come on, I still need to show you the dojo and the café, oh, and the rescue team HQ!"

"Blitz, are you okay?" Lita asked.

"Of course I am," Blitz responded, smiling at his sister. "Also, I need to introduce you to my mentor, Hercules, and my other teammates, Sera and Azure!"

"Okay…" Lita replied, following her brother and Chiaki as they headed for the café.

* * *

At the café, Azure was helping out her mother at the café, and was bringing a drink over to Sera, who was sitting at one of the tables and looking rather tired. Sera yawned as Azure put the glass of berry juice in front of her.

"There you go, one glass of Chesto berry juice," Azure said, winking at Sera. "That should help you feel more awake!"

"Thanks, Azure," Sera responded, rubbing her eyes. "I was hoping to sleep in today, but Volt and Sirena's arguing over which one of them was responsible for the mess in the living room was just so loud…"

"Mess in the living room?" Azure inquired.

"I don't know what happened in there," Sera responded, drinking some of the berry juice. "I was so tired I didn't even bother to check…" Sera's ears started perking up slightly as she drank the Chesto berry juice and started to wake up more. "Ah… That feels much better!"

As Sera finished her drink, Blitz, Chiaki and Lita entered the café. Azure noticed and waved the three over.

"Hey guys!" Azure said.

"Hey there, Azure," Chiaki responded, walking up to the table along with Blitz and Lita.

"Who's this?" Sera asked, noticing Lita.

"I'm Lita!" Lita responded, smiling at Sera. "I'm Blitz's little sister!"

"Oh? Well, it's nice to meet you," Sera replied, before looking over at Blitz. "You never told me you had a sister."

"Well, um… You never asked," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "Anyways, she'll be staying with me and Chiaki for a few days."

"I see," Azure said, petting Lita on the head. "Does that mean you'll be too busy to go on any missions?"

"Hmm…" Blitz thought about it for a few moments. "Don't worry, I can probably ask Hercules to look after her while we go on missions."

"Oh, can't I come along?" Lita asked. "I'd like to see what you and your friends do!"

"Sorry Lita, but I think it's a little too dangerous for you," Blitz responded. "Besides, only four Pokémon can enter a dungeon at a time."

"Aw, that's not fair!" Lita replied, pouting. "I wanted to see you fight and stuff."

"Hey, don't be upset," Blitz said, smiling at his sister. "Even if you might not get to see me battle, we're still going to have a lot of fun, right?"

"I guess…" Lita responded. "Oh! What about watching you train? Can I watch you train with your mentor?"

"Uh… I guess that's okay," Blitz replied.

"Yay!" Lita responded, the four pointed star-shape on her tail flashing for a moment from her excitement.

"The little cutie adores you, doesn't she?" Azure commented, looking over at Blitz.

"Well, yeah, I guess," Blitz responded, blushing slightly. "Lita and I have always been very close."

"Uh-huh!" Lita said, nodding her head. "We're not just siblings; we're also true friends and can tell each other everything!"

"How nice," Azure responded, petting Lita again.

"Wish I had that kind of relationship with one of my siblings," Sera commented. "Not that I don't have good relationship with most of my siblings, but I don't really know if I'd consider any of them a true friend."

"Well, I think that's enough talking for now!" Azure said, grinning. "So, how about we drop off the little cutie at the dojo so Hercules can look after her, while the four of us head out on a mission?"

"Sounds good," Sera responded, stretching her legs. "Let's go."

"Okay!" Chiaki said.

"All right," Blitz said.

"Tell me all about the mission when you get back, okay?" Lita asked, looking up at her brother.

"Yeah, I will," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "Now, let's go."

* * *

After stopping by the dojo, introducing Lita to Hercules and asking him to look after Lita, the rescue team headed to the rescue team HQ. After checking the boards and discussing the available missions amongst themselves, they eventually decided on two missions in the same dungeon. The first request was from a Happiny, who wanted a rescue team to go retrieve the Oval Stone she had lost, and the other was from a Tropius who wanted them to look for her Nidorino friend who had gone missing while exploring the dungeon.

"All right, if Blitz's calculations are correct, then these two missions should give us just enough points to reach the Silver rank!" Sera said, wagging her tail happily.

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Azure asked, smirking. "Let's get going!"

And so, the four Pokémon hurried over to the room behind the purple curtain and asked Kala to teleport them to the mystery dungeon they needed to go to. In a flash of light, the four appeared at the entrance to the mystery dungeon. They entered the dungeon, and began exploring as usual.

"Hear any wild Pokémon, Azure?" Blitz asked, looking around.

"Hmm…" Azure walked up to one of the paths they could follow, listening for any wild Pokémon approaching.

Chiaki noticed that Blitz and Azure seemed to be busy trying to decide on where to go, and decided that this would be a good time to speak with Sera. The only problem was that even if Blitz and Azure weren't paying attention, the fact that they both had good hearing might make it difficult for him and Sera to talk privately. Still, Chiaki decided to quietly walk up to Sera.

"Hey, Sera?" Chiaki whispered into Sera's ear. "Could we talk privately? I need to ask you about something."

"Oh?" Sera responded, glancing around. "Sure, I guess… but not here. We'll wait until we're out of the dungeon."

"Okay," Chiaki replied, nodding his head slightly.

"Guys, come over here!" Azure said, waving to Sera and Chiaki before pointing to one of the two paths. "Blitz thinks we should head this way."

"All right, thanks," Sera responded, nodding her head slightly. "Let's keep going, then!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at the dojo, Lita was talking with Hercules and watching a few of the rescue teams training at different things. Hercules told the young Shinx what she wanted to know about her brother's time in Fenix Town, and helpfully answered the questions she asked. Lita seemed to be happy that Hercules was willing to share what he knew with her, although there were a few things that surprised her.

"So… Blitz hasn't told _any_ of them?" Lita asked, tilting her head slightly. "Not a thing?"

"Well… Blitz is afraid of what everyone will think," Hercules explained, petting Lita's head.

"Why?" Lita asked. "I don't get it. Why is he afraid?"

"Back at Lightning Plateau, you and Blitz told each other everything, didn't you?" Hercules responded. "Told you how he felt, what was happening in his life, how much he wanted the other members of the pride to just accept him the way you did, without demanding anything else of him?"

"Oh…" Lita replied, thinking for a moment. "I think I get it… But, this place isn't like Lightning Plateau! There are lots of buildings, lots of different types of Pokémon and they do things differently here than we do in Lightning Plateau!"

"You have a very good point there," Hercules responded, smiling at the young Shinx. "From what I understand from what Blitz has told me, Lightning Plateau is indeed very different from Fenix Town. I know that Blitz probably wouldn't experience the exact same things he went through with the other members of the pride with the Pokémon here, but I guess he still hasn't fully recovered from the events back at Lightning Plateau…"

"Yeah…" Lita replied, her ears drooping slightly. "He hasn't really been the same after our dad left, and the stuff that happened after that…"

"I hope Blitz will be able to open his heart to his friends someday," Hercules said solemnly, while scratching Lita behind her ears. "I want to help him, but I don't know what I can really do to help him trust in his friends enough to be able to tell them the truth…"

"He trusts _you_ , doesn't he?" Lita asked, looking up at Hercules. "You know everything, and he can talk to you?"

"That's right," Hercules responded, nodding his head slightly. "I do everything I can to support him and try to help him find the right path."

"You mean like parents do?" Lita asked, smiling at Hercules.

"Huh?" Hercules responded, blinking a few times as he thought about what Lita said before giving a slightly flustered smile. "Oh… I guess it _is_ kind of like that, isn't it..."

"I think that's really nice!" Lita replied, giggling a little.

"Uh… Thanks," Hercules responded, rubbing the back of his horn. "Still, I think he needs more than just me for support."

"Ooh, maybe I can help?" Lita suggested. "I can be _very_ persuasive!"

Lita then decided to demonstrate, and lowered her head slightly while gazing up at Hercules while making her golden eyes look as big as she could. She then added in a small smile and started purring softly.

"I suppose that is a pretty compelling argument you've got there," Hercules commented, chuckling a little.

"Everyone will bow down to my superior cuteness!" Lita said, giggling and winking.

"I'm sure they will," Hercules responded, smiling at Lita. "Not sure if it is what it'll take to convince your brother, though."

"It's worth a try, isn't it?" Lita asked, looking at Hercules with the same look she demonstrated earlier.

"Well… I suppose it can't hurt to try," Hercules responded, chuckling a little. "Anyways, let's talk about something else for a bit. Want to hear about how exactly this dojo works?"

"Sure!" Lita replied, with a cheerful smile.

* * *

After two successful missions, Sera and her teammates returned to the rescue team HQ, and picked up their rewards for the missions. To Sera's dismay, it turned out they were a few points short of reaching Silver rank, but she cheered up a little once Azure pointed out that they would likely hit Silver rank on their next mission. Leaving the HQ, they went to the dojo to pick up Lita, and then decided to head over to the café to enjoy some refreshments while telling Lita all about their adventure.

"So, Chiaki wanted to talk to me about something, so could the three of you just go ahead to the café?" Sera asked. "Chiaki and I will catch up to you later."

"Uh… Okay, I guess," Blitz responded.

"Fine with me," Azure said, smirking. "Just don't keep us waiting too long!"

And with that, Blitz, Azure and Lita headed off to the café, while Sera and Chiaki decided to go find a quiet spot where they could talk in private.

"So, what's the matter?" Sera asked.

"Well, Blitz was acting kind of strange earlier this morning," Chiaki explained. "So, I was wondering if you might know if something is bothering Blitz, since you're his best friend and all."

"Oh? Blitz hasn't really mentioned anything that's bothering him…" Sera responded, tilting her head slightly.

"So, you haven't noticed anything?" Chiaki asked.

"Not really…" Sera replied, shaking her head.

"Maybe I'm just worrying for nothing, then…" Chiaki responded, shrugging slightly. "I just can't shake off the feeling that Blitz might be hiding something from us…"

"Well, then…" Sera said, thinking for a moment. "Maybe Hercules knows something?"

"Hercules is his mentor," Chiaki responded, nodding his head slightly. "I guess it is likely that Blitz may have told him something he hasn't told us."

"All right, then," Sera said, and started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Chiaki asked.

"To the dojo, of course," Sera responded.

"But, weren't we supposed to meet the others at the café?" Chiaki said, pointing in the other direction. "They're kind of waiting for us, you know…"

"I know, but this is more important right now!" Sera replied, nodding her head slightly. "I have to get to the bottom of this, so I'm going to the dojo to get some answers!"

"Oh, okay…" Chiaki responded, following Sera. "Guess I'll come with you, then."

* * *

After a short walk back to the dojo, Sera and Chiaki began looking around for Hercules. They soon spotted the Heracross giving Frosty some advice on how to improve his throwing technique so he could make the icicles he threw hit the targets more accurately. Chiaki waved to Hercules to get his attention, and once he noticed them, Hercules decided to leave Frosty to continue his target practice while he went to speak to them.

"Hello there," Hercules said as he went up to them. "What brings you two here?"

"Well, we're kind of concerned about Blitz," Sera responded. "And so we were wondering if you might know if anything is bothering him?"

"Oh, um…" Hercules glanced around. "What gives you the idea that something is bothering him?"

"He was acting kind of strange earlier today," Chiaki replied.

"And based on your reaction there, I assume you know something?" Sera asked, trying to make eye-contact with the Heracross. "You _do_ know something, don't you?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you anything," Hercules responded, shaking his head. "The conversations I've had with Blitz are just between the two of us, and Blitz doesn't want anyone else in town to know certain things about him."

"What things?" Sera asked, refusing to drop the subject.

"I really can't tell you," Hercules replied, sighing. "It would be better if you waited until Blitz is ready to tell you everything himself."

"But… I don't understand!" Sera responded. "Why would Blitz keep secrets from us? We're his friends!"

"It's not like I haven't been trying to convince him to tell you guys…" Hercules replied.

"Please, tell us!" Sera pleaded, her ears drooping down slightly. "I need to know!"

"Listen, Blitz had a pretty difficult time before coming here to Fenix Town," Hercules explained. "There are still some things he hasn't fully understood yet…"

"What do you mean?" Sera asked, growing more and more distressed as Hercules refused to directly answer her questions. "That isn't enough! I need to know more!"

"Sera, please calm down," Hercules responded, patting her on the head. "I know you're concerned, but I've already said too much."

"I tell Blitz everything, so why is there something he won't tell me?" Sera asked, looking up pleadingly at Hercules. "Tell me what happened to Blitz before he came to town!"

"Can't it wait for another time?" Hercules responded. "Besides, you haven't really shown much interest in Blitz's background or asked him about any of this before, have you?"

"Hey, that's not…" Sera started, until she recalled something from earlier that day.

_"You never told me you had a sister."_

_"Well, um… You never asked."_

"I… I…" Sera stuttered, realizing that Hercules was right. She often told him about how she felt about certain things, like how her siblings often got on her nerves, how she hated it when others didn't listen to her or take her seriously because of her age, but she had rarely asked him about his feelings on things not related to their rescue team business.

"Sera…" Chiaki said, unsure of what to say to his teammate.

"Hercules, I… please! I have to know!" Sera pleaded.

"… You're not giving up on this, are you?" Hercules responded.

Sera looked up at Hercules and shook her head. Hercules sighed and motioned for Sera and Chiaki to follow him.

"All right… I'm probably going to regret this later, but I'll explain the situation," Hercules said. "It's kind of a long story, but… basically, this is what happened."

* * *

**End of Chapter 21**


	22. I'm really not all that special; I'm just a Shinx like the rest of you!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for this chapter, there are two narration styles. The narration in italics is Hercules telling the story, while the regular narration shows the events of the past, as we learn Blitz's backstory. You probably would've figured that out on your own, but I thought I'd make a note clarifying it just in case. This narration style is also used in a set of later chapters.

 

* * *

_"Lightning Plateau is very different from Fenix Town in many ways. Here, we are used to seeing many different types and species of Pokémon every day, but at Lightning Plateau, there aren't really any other Pokémon around other than the Luxray pride, as it is their territory, and they would rather not share it with anyone._  
_  
There also aren't really any buildings there, as the Luxray pride prefers to stick to the lifestyle they have always led, and so they prefer to sleep out in the open or live in caves. The only real thing you'll see that was built at some point is a shrine carved out of stone, dedicated to the legendary Pokémon Raikou, whom is said to have been spotted running through the area during stormy nights, and is worshipped by the Luxray tribe._

_Blitz, Lita and their parents lived in a cave. They were a happy family of four, and were all respected within the Luxray pride."_

* * *

On a nice and quiet morning, Blitz and his father were heading out to do some training, as the two of them often did when they could. Other members of the pride greeted them as they walked past, and some of them reminded Blitz's father of a meeting regarding an upcoming hunting trip.

"You sure have a lot of responsibilities, don't you?" Blitz asked, looking up at his father.

"Well, yeah," the Luxray responded, smiling at his son. "But right now, we have some time to ourselves, and can continue where our last training session left off!"

"And this time there won't be any interruptions, right?" Blitz asked, smiling back at his father.

"Don't worry, we have a few hours at least before I am needed somewhere," Blitz's father replied. "So, remind me where we left off last time?"

"You were telling me about the Fire and Ice Fang attacks!" Blitz responded, grinning. "Will I get to try them out today?"

"Now, there's no need to rush, is there?" Blitz's father replied. "And besides, these attacks can be dangerous if you don't get the technique just right."

"What do you mean?" Blitz asked.

"Well, our fangs alone be pretty dangerous just because of their sharpness," Blitz's father explained. "Add ice or fire to it, and well, that should speak for itself."

"Oh, right," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "I get it."

"Good," Blitz's father replied, smiling at his son. "Unlike Thunder Fang, the Ice and Fire Fang moves are not learned naturally by our species, and thus a Shinx will only be capable of performing the move if their father knows how to use them."

"And since _you_ know those attacks, that must mean you learned them from _your_ father, didn't you?" Blitz asked. "And since _you_ know those attacks, that means both Lita and I are capable of using them?"

"You got it spot on," Blitz's father responded, nodding his head.

"Does that mean you'll teach Lita those attacks too someday?" Blitz asked.

"Maybe," Blitz's father replied. "Of course, with my responsibilities as leader of the pride, I'm not entirely sure if I'll have the time to train you both."

"Being leader of the pride doesn't sound like much fun," Blitz commented, tilting his head slightly.

"It is a lot of work, but someone has to do it," Blitz's father responded, smiling at Blitz. "But for now, let's focus on these lessons."

"Okay!" Blitz replied, nodding his head. "So, how do I do this?"

"It's kind of complicated, but once you know it, it's not that hard," Blitz's father responded, picking up a branch that fallen from one of the trees during a lightning storm and putting it down in front of Blitz. "I think we'll start with Fire Fang, so listen closely."

Blitz nodded his head, listening closely to his father's instructions on how to perform the attack, and using the branch to practice on.

* * *

_"So, Blitz's father was the leader of the Luxray pride? Wait, so does that make Blitz… a prince, or something?"_  
_  
"Well, you're certainly not that far off, Sera. Blitz was expected to take over his father's position as leader once he was old enough. And so, there were many things Blitz was expected to learn. Luckily, he was a fast learner, and seemed to be well in touch with his instincts. He had sharp senses, and seemed to possess many qualities that would seem to give him good leader potential._

Yet, Blitz preferred to think of himself as just any other Shinx in the pride."

* * *

After their training session, Blitz's father had work to attend to. Blitz decided to go see what some of the other Shinx around his age were up to. He eventually came across a group of Shinx that were doing some training of their own, taking turns fighting each other.

"Hey guys!" Blitz said, walking up to the other Shinx.

"Oh, hi Blitz!" one of the Shinx responded, walking up to him. "What's up?"

"Dad taught me some new moves," Blitz replied.

"Cool!" one of the other Shinx responded. "Could you show us?"

"Sure, I guess," Blitz replied, looking around. "Just need to find a branch or piece of bark, since dad says it might be dangerous to use on other Pokémon if you don't get the technique just right."

"Oh! I'll go look for something you can use!" one of the female Shinx said, running off.

"I'll help!" one of the other female Shinx said, joining the first one.

"I'll go too, in case the girls need any help carrying the stuff back," one of the males commented, before following the two female Shinx.

"Oh, uh… Thanks, I guess," Blitz responded, tilting his head slightly. "I probably could've done it myself, though."

"Yeah, he has a point, you know," said a voice from behind them, and they turned to see what looked to be a bigger Shinx with two yellow rings on his forelegs and a black mane, albeit his mane weren't as impressive as that of a Luxray. The young Luxio had a smug look on his face as he approached the Shinx.

"Oh, hello," Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together.

"What do _you_ want, Charge?" one of the Shinx asked, glaring at the Luxio.

"Nothing at all," Charge responded, smirking. "Just wondering what the big deal about Blitz is all about. I mean, sure, _his father_ might be the leader of this pride, but Blitz himself… _he_ hasn't really ever done anything all that impressive or noteworthy."

"And just what have _you_ done?" one of the female Shinx asked.

"Yeah, you're just jealous!" one of the male Shinx said, pointing a paw accusingly at Charge.

"Guys, calm down!" Blitz said, moving in-between Charge and the Shinx group. "I'm really not all that special; I'm just a Shinx like the rest of you!"

"Exactly," Charge responded, nodding his head. "I know that, and you know that, but _they_ don't seem to have caught on."

"Blitz, you don't have to listen to what Charge says!" one of the Shinx said. "You know he's just after attention!"

"I know he's not the nicest member of the pride, but really, there's no need to fight," Blitz responded, trying to keep things calm.

"Hey, I'm not looking for a fight," Charge said, turning away. "Or at least, I'm not looking for a fight against any of _you_. I'm way too tough for you kids."

"Blitz could take you on!" one of the Shinx commented, smirking. "He's been training with his dad!"

"Oh, is that so?" Charge asked, looking back over at Blitz. "You think you could take me on?"

"Now, I never said that…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together and glancing around nervously at the other Shinx. "You guys aren't really helping here…"

"Well, maybe I'll test you later, see if those fans of yours are right or not," Charge replied, smirking. "For now, I'll be off. See you all later."

And with that, the Luxio left, and Blitz sighed as the other Shinx gather around him.

"Hey, Blitz?" one of the Shinx said. "Sorry if we put you in a bit of a difficult spot there."

"Yeah, we didn't mean to," one of the other Shinx added. "But you know, since Charge is always bothering us and telling us all about how everything we can do, he can do better…"

"Don't worry about it," Blitz responded, managing a small smile. "You meant well, so… just try not to let Charge's mere presence get the better of you next time, okay?"

"Okay!" the other Shinx replied, nodding their heads.

"All right, so… I guess I'll show you those moves my dad taught me, then," Blitz said, looking at some pieces of bark some of the other Shinx had found for him. "These will do just fine."

* * *

_"Sounds like Blitz had a lot of friends, didn't he?"_  
_  
"It may seem that way, Chiaki, but… Well, while Blitz got along well with the other Shinx, they weren't necessarily particularly close. Blitz liked to play together with them, but they weren't really his close friends._

However, there was one Shinx whom he could always talk to, that understood him better than any other Shinx in the pride. It was none other than his little sister Lita."

* * *

As Blitz returned home to the cave later in the evening, he noticed that Lita was watching their mother sorting some things around the cave.

"You sure you don't want any help, mommy?" Lita asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Nice of you to offer, but I've got it covered," their mother replied, smiling. "So, don't worry about it, my little princess!"

"If you say so…" Lita responded, before her mood considerably brightened as she noticed Blitz walking over. "Big brother, you're back!"

"Hey, Lita," Blitz said, smiling at the younger Shinx. "How have you been?"

"Fine, I guess," Lita responded, shrugging slightly. "How was your day?"

"Well, dad finally taught me how to use the Ice and Fire Fang moves," Blitz said.

"Ooh, really?" Lita responded. "Can you show me?"

"Sure," Blitz replied, nodding his head. "Maybe I'll even teach you how to use them yourself someday!"

"You'd really do that?" Lita asked, smiling at her brother.

"Of course, once I've fully mastered the attack myself, that is," Blitz responded, smiling back.

"Yay!" Lita replied, hugging her brother. "You're the best big brother ever!"

* * *

_"Um, sorry to interrupt, but you said Blitz had been through a difficult time before coming to our town, didn't you?"_  
_  
"Well, I'm getting to that part, Sera. You see, Blitz's father had to go and lead the hunting trip the Luxray had planned. He and the other Luxray were only supposed to be away for a few weeks, but they all seemed to be away for longer than the rest of the pride expected. They considered sending out a search party, but the Luxray did return before it got to that point… or most of them did, anyways."_

* * *

Blitz and Lita's mother had gone to figure out exactly what had happened when she heard the hunting party had returned. As she came across the Luxray that had gone on the hunting trip she noticed that several of them looked to be recovering from some sort of injury, and she felt concerned as she realized her mate was nowhere in sight.

"Ah, Leandra," one of the Luxray said, walking up to Blitz and Lita's mother. "Looking for the leader, aren't you?"

"Yeah, where is he?" Leandra asked, looking around. "Is he okay?"

"Well, last time I saw him he was okay, but…" the Luxray responded, and then explained how something during the hunting trip had gone wrong, resulting in an accident that injured many of the Luxray. Their leader, Tirell, was not among the Luxray that were injured, but he hadn't taken what happened well, and he blamed himself for what had happened.

He had helped the other Luxray treat the wounds of the injured Luxray, but once they were in good enough shape to head home, he had run off, apparently too ashamed to face the rest of the pride.

"What do you mean!?" Leandra shouted.

"I-It's like I said," the Luxray responded, shivering slightly under Leandra's intimidating gaze. "He ran away, and we don't know where he went off to…"

"But… He can't just _run away_ , he's the leader of our pride!" Leandra replied, growling angrily.

"We were shocked too," the Luxray responded, shaking his head. "We never thought Tirell could abandon us like this..."

"Of all the irresponsible…" Leandra growled, the Luxray she was talking to seeming rather unnerved as she was scary enough when she wasn't angry. "I swear, whenever he gets back here, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!"

"A-Anyways…" the Luxray responded, clearing his throat. "We must figure out what to do while Tirell is missing…"

"Well, Blitz is supposed to be the next leader of the pride," Leandra replied, shaking her head slightly. "But he's too young to take up his father's position."

"I guess we will need to choose a temporary leader until either Blitz is old enough to take up the position or Tirell returns," the other Luxray responded. "We will also need to do what we can to prepare Blitz to take on the role as our leader."

"I will do what I can," Leandra replied, nodding her head. "For now, I should probably go home and tell the kids what has happened…"

"We'll discuss this further at a later time, then," the Luxray said.

* * *

_"So… Blitz's father left… just like that?"_  
_  
"Yes… I understand that it is very difficult to understand; even Blitz couldn't understand why his father would do such a thing. And as if that wasn't enough, some of the Luxray decided that they needed to begin preparing him for what they all expected of him once he was old enough, to become their new leader."_

* * *

Blitz carefully crept through the grass, listening for anything that might be waiting to ambush him. He glanced around, trying his best not to rustle any of the grass too much or step on anything that might give away his position. A Luxray was observing him, nodding his head as Blitz met his gaze.

"Good, you're in tune with your instincts," the Luxray said. "But you're breathing a little too hard."

"Oh…" Blitz responded, his voice barely a whisper.

"You just need to find a way to relax more, otherwise you did really well," the Luxray said.

"Thanks…" Blitz replied, rubbing his forelegs together.

"You really do have great potential," the Luxray said, smiling at Blitz. "We all believe you'll make a great leader someday!"

"Leader… right…" Blitz muttered, lying down in the tall grass as if he didn't want to be noticed. "As if I hadn't already heard _that_ four times already today…"

"Well, I think that's all the training for today," the Luxray said, glancing at the sun setting in the distance. "You can go home now."

"Okay, thanks…" Blitz said, nodding his head slightly.

The Luxray walked away, but Blitz stayed right there in the tall grass for a little longer. He seemed to relax a little as he realized he was now by himself, the tall grass helping to hide him from sight just a little.

"Pathetic, aren't I?" Blitz muttered to himself. "I have no choice, so I might as well just accept it…" Blitz glanced up at the evening sky, even if he couldn't see the sunset clearly from his position. "I _have_ to become the leader of this pride someday… I must… I guess… This must be what they call… destiny?" Blitz nodded his head slightly, resting his head on his paws. "Yeah… Becoming the leader of the pride… is my destiny… Whether I _want_ it to be or not…"

* * *

Blitz opened his eyes, noticing that it had turned dark. He quickly got up to his feet, realizing that he had to have dozed off in the tall grass and that he had to hurry home. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but he hoped it wasn't too far past the time he was supposed to have been home. He hurried back to the cave, where he found Lita waiting for him.

"There you are!" Lita said, cheerfully greeting her big brother.

"What took you so long?" Leandra asked, looking over at Blitz.

"Sorry I'm late…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Oh, it's okay," Leandra replied. "I saved you some dinner."

Blitz nodded, and walked up the flat rock serving as their dinner table. He looked down at the piece of meat in front of him, poking at it with his paw. This red, soft piece of meat had probably been part of a wild Pokémon until recently, but it was difficult to determine species or what part of the body the meat came from by how it looked and felt to the touch alone.

"Blitz? Aren't you going to eat?" Leandra asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry…" Blitz responded, sniffing the meat. "It smells really nice, but… I guess I'm not all that hungry…"

"But you've barely eaten today!" Leandra replied. "Surely you must be hungry?"

"Well… I suppose I shouldn't let this go to waste…" Blitz responded, taking a bite out of the meat.

"That's better," Leandra replied, smiling.

Leandra went into her part of the cave while Blitz ate his dinner, however, Lita just watched Blitz with a concerned look.

"You okay, big brother?" Lita asked.

"Not really…" Blitz responded, shaking his head.

"Want to talk about it?" Lita asked, giving a small supportive smile.

* * *

After Blitz had finished his dinner, he and Lita went to their room to talk in private. Blitz sometimes wondered if it was really okay for him to tell Lita these things, but he knew his little sister was mature for her age, and besides, he knew she would just worry about him if he didn't talk to her about whatever was on his mind.

"So, what's wrong?" Lita asked, tilting her head slightly. "Is it that Luxio that's bothering everyone again?"

"You mean Charge?" Blitz responded, before shaking his head. "No, I haven't even really seen him around lately…"

"Oh," Lita replied. "What is it, then?"

"It's just… ever since dad left, everyone's been going on about how I'm someday going to be their next leader," Blitz explained, looking down at the floor. "But, I…"

"You don't want to be the leader?" Lita asked.

"Huh… You're the only one to ask that," Blitz responded, giving his sister a small smile, before sighing and shaking his head. "No… I don't, but… it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice…"

"Maybe dad can do something about it?" Lita suggested. "You know, when he gets back from… wherever he went."

"… You really think he's coming back?" Blitz asked.

"Of course I do!" Lita responded, nodding her head. "Don't adults sometimes need time to themselves to think about things?"

"… I'm not really sure if that's what's going on," Blitz replied, sighing again. "I just don't know what to do about everyone having decided my future without even asking me what I want, or giving me a choice in the matter…"

"Hmm… They want you to be the leader because our dad is the leader, right?" Lita asked.

"I guess so," Blitz responded, glancing around at the cave walls.

"Then, maybe… _I_ could become the leader?" Lita suggested, smiling at her brother.

"You, become the leader of the pride?" Blitz inquired, tilting his head slightly.

"Well, why not?" Lita asked, rubbing her head against Blitz. "That way, you wouldn't have to!"

"Lita… That's probably the nicest thing anyone has ever offered to do for me," Blitz responded, smiling at his sister. "Thanks."

"You're welcome!" Lita replied, grinning. "All right, I'll work hard and become the leader of this pride!"

"I doubt it's as easy as that," Blitz responded. "I mean, everyone wants me to do it, and… well, I don't think we've ever had a female Luxray as the leader before."

"That doesn't mean a female can't be leader, though?" Lita asked, smirking. "Well, either way, I'm going to try my best for your sake, big brother!"

"… You're the best little sister ever," Blitz responded, rubbing his head against Lita.

* * *

_"Even with Lita around for support, things didn't get any better for Blitz. When he had time, he would go play with the other Shinx as he had always done. However, he couldn't help but feel jealousy and resentment towards the other Shinx, since none of them had to deal with the burden of being the chosen one. They didn't understand how much stress he had to suffer, or how much he just wanted to be just another Shinx like them."_

* * *

Blitz was having trouble keeping up with the other Shinx as they ran around, playing their games as usual. Tired from his training earlier in the day, Blitz had to stop and take a moment to catch his breath.

"You okay, Blitz?" one of the female Shinx asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "Just a little tired from today's lessons…"

"Oh, right!" one of the other Shinx said. "You've got to know a lot of things in order to become our leader, don't you?"

"Yes, there certainly is," Blitz responded, forcing a smile while thinking to himself. _"You have no idea how lucky you all are…"_

"Being the leader seems like a lot of hard work," one of the other Shinx commented, smiling at Blitz. "But if anyone can handle it, it has to be you!"

"I've been getting that a lot," Blitz replied, still hiding his true thoughts behind a fake smile that none of the other Shinx seemed to see through. _"Why does it have to be me? I never asked for any of this!"_

"You seriously think he has what it takes?" a certain Luxio's voice asked, and they all turned to see Charge walking over. "If he's _anything_ like his father, he'll probably just run away the moment things get rough!"

"Charge, why are _you_ here?" one of the Shinx commented, giving the Luxio an annoyed look.

"I hadn't seen Blitz in a while, wanted to see how he were doing," Charge responded, turning to Blitz with a smug look on his face. "So, how have you been?"

"That's… really none of your business, Charge," Blitz replied, trying to remain calm. _"Oh, for the love of Raikou… As if these oblivious Shinx weren't enough, now I have to deal with him too!?"_

"Oh, what's the matter, Blitz?" Charge asked, leaning his face closer with a smug smile. "I bet you must feel kind of embarrassed that your dad just ditched his responsibilities like that."

Blitz glanced down at the ground, hoping Charge would just go away.

"I do wonder _why_ he just left like that," Charge said, walking back and forth in front of Blitz as he thought to himself. "Are the meetings with the other Luxray or whatever just _that_ boring and he just needed an excuse to get away?"

Blitz just continued staring into the ground, hoping Charge would just leave. He was aware that the other Shinx were probably glaring at the Luxio, but he just hoped they wouldn't say or do anything that would get him into trouble or make Charge stay longer.

"Or maybe it didn't even have anything to do with him being the leader," Charge said, smirking at Blitz. "Maybe you and your sister were being so annoying he decided to leave?"

Blitz narrowed his eyes, and glared at Charge. How dared he bring Lita into this?

"Oh, I know! He's probably hiding from your mother!" Charge said, snickering. "I mean, _seriously_. You've seen those teeth of hers, right? I'd run away too if I had to wake up to _that_ every day!"

"SHUT UP!" Blitz shouted, startling all the other Shinx present.

"Oh, dear," Charge responded, seeming a bit startled himself momentarily before regaining his composure. "Maybe I went a little too far?"

"Charge, you can say whatever you want about me, but leave my family out of this!" Blitz replied, giving Charge a nasty glare.

"Huh, this suddenly got interesting," Charge commented, smirking. "And here I thought you were just a coward who'd rather avoid a fight."

"Well, he isn't!" one of the other Shinx said. "Now, get lost and leave Blitz alone!"

"Now, hold on…" Charge responded. "I'm not done here yet."

Blitz looked down at the ground, growling and hoping that Charge would just go away already. However, the Luxio suddenly leaned down to try to meet Blitz's gaze.

"Hey, do you remember the time I suggested we have a battle to see which one of is stronger?" Charge asked, and smirked as Blitz's eyes widened in fear. "What do you say?"

"I… I…" Blitz stuttered, rubbing his forelegs together. "I don't know if…"

"Come on, I'm just asking for one battle," Charge responded. "How about… we meet up near the shrine tomorrow night, before moving over to a suitable spot for our battle?"

"Charge, I really don't think that's a good idea…" Blitz muttered, glancing around at the other Shinx who were now just watching their conversation.

"Okay, how about this? If you win, I promise I'll take back everything I've said and leave you alone," Charge said, with a smug smile. "Does that sound good?"

Blitz tried to respond, but the words weren't coming to him. He had no idea what to do now. Charge just smirked, turned around and started to walk away.

"Well, I guess I'll go take a look around and find the best spot for our battle," Charge said, glancing over his shoulder at Blitz. "Remember, tomorrow night, meet me at the shrine!"

And with that, the Luxio left.

"Wait, I don't…" Blitz said, but Charge was already out of earshot. "… This can't end well…"

"Don't worry about it, Blitz," one of the other Shinx said.

"Yeah, we're sure you can beat him!" another Shinx commented, grinning.

Blitz just sighed and lied down in the grass, covering his ears with his paws and shutting his eyes while thinking to himself: _"Why me?"_

* * *

When Blitz got home later in the evening, he told both Lita and his mother about Charge's challenge, and asked them for advice on how to deal with the situation.

"Hmm… Tough one," Leandra commented. "You don't want to fight him, but you're worried he's going to keep bothering you if _don't_ show up, right?"

"Yeah…" Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "Not to mention that the other Shinx seem to want me to defeat him…"

"Maybe I should have a talk with him?" Leandra suggested, smiling so that all of her sharp teeth were showing. "And if that Luxio won't listen to reason, maybe I can frighten him a bit with my Scary Face attack?"

"You mean _that_ isn't your scary face?" Lita asked, tilting her head slightly as she looked up at her mother's grin.

"What do you mean, dear?" Leandra responded, looking over at Lita.

"Oh, never mind," Lita replied, looking down sheepishly.

"Mom, I don't think it'll help if _you_ try to talk to him," Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Well, if there's anything I can do to help, let me know," Leandra responded.

Blitz sighed and decided to go to his room, Lita following closely behind.

"You're not really going to fight Charge, are you?" Lita asked.

"I don't know, Lita…" Blitz responded, shaking his head slightly.

"We don't actually know how strong Charge is, do we?" Lita asked, giving her older brother a concerned look. "I don't want you to get hurt…"

"Lita, don't worry about me," Blitz responded, looking away. "I'll think of something…"

"Are you sure?" Lita replied, tilting her head slightly.

"No, but since it's my problem, I guess I'll have to sort it out myself," Blitz responded.

* * *

_"That night, Blitz lay in bed trying to think of a solution, but none came to him and he eventually fell asleep. Blitz went through the next day as usual, and when the evening came, Blitz began heading for the stone shrine. He wasn't sure what he hoped to accomplish, nor did he know what he would do once he got there. However, it was as if something inside him was guiding him, as if there was no other way and it was too late to turn back…"_

* * *

Blitz crept through the grass, occasionally glancing around. Dark clouds were starting to fill up the night sky, and it wouldn't be surprising if it started raining at any moment. Blitz just kept on moving through the tall grass, staying low as if he didn't want to be spotted. He could see the stone shrine in the distance, getting closer and closer. Blitz took a deep breath, and continued moving forward, towards the shrine dedicated to Raikou, a legendary Pokémon of thunder and lightning.

As he reached the shrine, he sat down next to it, looking around. Blitz hadn't seen any signs of Charge yet, but he figured it wouldn't be long before the Luxio showed up.

"Sure is dark tonight…" Blitz muttered to himself, glancing up at the cloudy night sky.

"Ah, there you are," a familiar voice called out. "I was worried you wouldn't show up."

Blitz flinched slightly, before nervously looking over at the Luxio walking over with a smug smile on his face.

"Are you ready?" Charge asked, glancing over in a direction. "I think I've found just the perfect spot for our battle."

Blitz reluctantly followed Charge as he led the way towards the location he had chosen for their battle. They eventually arrived at a fairly open area, with only a few trees surrounding them.

"What do you think? Good spot for a battle, isn't it?" Charge asked, smirking.

"I-I guess…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together.

Charge took a few steps forward, then turned around and tried to pounce on Blitz. Blitz made his fur glow, momentarily startling the Luxio, and giving Blitz time to move out of the way. Blitz ducked into some of the tall grass, hoping he would stay hidden from Charge's sight for at least long enough to come up with a plan.

"Oh, Blitz? Where did you go?" Charge said, snickering a little. "You do know that this is a battle and not a game of hide-and-seek, right?"

Blitz remained quiet, trying to make as little noise as he could. However, Charge still seemed to be headed in his direction.

"Come on, don't be a coward," Charge said, smirking as he moved closer and closer to Blitz's hiding spot. "Surely you don't want to let those Shinx down like your dad did with the entire pride, do you?"

Blitz growled, and leaped out to attack Charge, only for the Luxio to easily sidestep the attack.

"You're going to have to do better than _that_ ," Charge commented, snickering.

The two rings on Charge's forelegs began to glow, and he proceeded to swipe at Blitz with an electrified paw, only for Blitz to dodge it. Yellow sparks of electricity were rippling through Charge's fur, mainly around the yellow rings on his forelegs. He smirked and attempted to strike Blitz with his electrified paw once more, only for Blitz to block it with his own electrified paws.

The two kept going back and forth trying to hit each other with their electrified paws, yellow sparks of electricity streaming off of the yellow rings on Charge's legs, while blue sparks flew out from each strike of Blitz's paws. The two kept this going for a while, until Charge managed to knock Blitz onto his back.

"Are you even _trying_?" Charge asked, trying to step on Blitz only for Blitz to stop him by pressing paw back with his own paws. " _Everyone_ keeps treating you like you're something special, but I think we both know that you're not!"

Blitz noticed that Charge seemed to be holding back, and realized that the Luxio had just been toying with him so far. Then again, considering how Charge normally was, it shouldn't really have come as such a surprise.

"You know, they say you've got a lot of potential to be a great leader, but I'm just not seeing any of that," Charge commented, with a smug smile. "Maybe I should've challenged your sister instead? I bet _she'd_ be able to pose a real challenge!"

Blitz made his fur light up, momentarily blinding Charge so he could slip out of his grip.

"That trick again?" Charge asked, shaking his head. "Didn't you train with your dad, you know, before he ran off like a coward?"

Blitz tried to keep his rising anger under control as Charge looked around for him in the tall grass.

"You can't beat anyone by just doing that shiny thing and running, you know," Charge said, circling Blitz's hiding spot. "I thought you had like, some special moves or something. Was I wrong?"

Blitz took a deep breath, trying to think of a way to win the battle while carefully observing Charge's movements.

"Come on, don't you have anything to say?" Charge asked, rolling his eyes. "I mean, shouldn't you like, come up with something to say about why I'm wrong and why you are qualified for the leader position?"

Blitz waited until Charge was in front of him, before leaping out and trying to tackle him, only to be knocked aside from another strike of Charge's electrified paw.

"Nice try, but nothing leader-worthy," Charge commented, approaching Blitz. "If you want to live up to what _everyone_ expects of you, then I suggest you train some more!"

Blitz got back onto his feet, staring down at the yellow rings on his forelegs for a moment, before looking over at Charge's forelegs. He was having trouble thinking clearly with all the bottled up negative emotions threatening to burst forth. Each comment about what everyone expected just made his anger rise, making it difficult to remain calm.

"Hey, is it okay if I watch when you admit to your friends that you're not as great as they think you are?" Charge asked, snickering. "I'll look forward to seeing the look on their faces… Oh, and what will your adorable little sister think when she finds out just how weak her brother is? Poor little Lita is going to be _so_ disappointed!"

With that, Blitz could no longer contain his feelings, and lunged at Charge, seeming to be aiming for the Luxio's throat.

"Whoa!" Charge said, managing to dodge the attack. "So, you _do_ have some fight in you? Well, bring it on!"

Blitz seemed to fighting much more aggressively and recklessly now, growling as he rapidly attempted to strike Charge with his electrified paws. Charge was actually the one who had to react quickly in order to block Blitz's vicious assault, and the Luxio actually seemed a bit unsettled by the sudden change in his opponent's behavior. It was like all the frustration, resentment and anger that the young Shinx had kept bottled up for the past few days was now being released in every attack.

However, even in his state of rage, Blitz seemed to have just enough awareness to notice an opening, and made his fur glow brightly to momentarily blind his opponent. As Charge flinched, and covered his eyes with one of his paws, Blitz promptly leaped forward and with red glowing fangs bit down on the Luxio's other foreleg.

"AH! Hey, what are you-!?" Charge shouted, screaming in pain as a pair of sharp fangs hot as fire dug deep into his leg.

Despite Charge's screams of pain, Blitz wasn't letting go. He didn't even seem to hear the Luxio's wails, nor did he seem to react when Charge tried to shake him off other than bite down even harder.

"P-Please stop!" Charge shouted, desperately trying to push Blitz off of him with his other foreleg. "O-Okay, you win! Please, stop this… Ah!"

Blitz's fangs cooled down slightly as he seemed to run out of energy for his Fire Fang attack, and Charge managed to muster up enough strength to make Blitz lose his grip and throw him aside before collapsing.

Lightning flashed in the distance, and Blitz seemed to come to his senses as the sound of thunder caught up. He got up onto his feet, seeming a bit dazed and looked over at his opponent. Charge was lying in the grass, panting and wincing in pain as he tried to move the damaged leg. The area around the yellow rings on Charge's left foreleg looked burned, and there was blood coming from the wounds Blitz had left right on the yellow rings.

Blitz gasped as he felt something wet and warm land on his leg, and looked down to see that drops of Charge's blood were dripping from his fangs onto the grass.

"W-What have I done…?" Blitz muttered under his breath, trembling as he fully realized what had just happened. "N-No, this wasn't supposed to… I didn't mean to-!"

Blitz fell to the ground as drops of rain began falling from above, and a group of Luxray ran over to see what was going on.

* * *

_"With the events of that night, Leandra realized just how bad the situation had gotten, but wasn't sure what to do for Blitz. Charge did recover, but his leg never healed completely. Apparently, he limps a little when he walks, and seems to have difficulty charging electricity with that leg, leaving him with only half electric power._  
_  
The other Shinx talked about what had happened, some of them shocked at what had happened to Charge during the duel, never having imagined Blitz was capable of that. Some said it was Charge's own fault for pushing Blitz too far, while others pointed out that while Charge was a bit of a jerk, he probably didn't deserve having that happen to him._

And Blitz, well… As you can probably already guess, the accident was what left him with such an aversion towards using his fangs in battle. He spent most of the day after the battle with Charge crying in his room, and for the few days after that refused to go out.

Leandra thought hard about what to do, and eventually reached the conclusion that it would probably be best for Blitz to train somewhere other than Lightning Plateau. And so, she sent me a letter, explaining the situation and asking if I would be interested in helping Blitz train. Feeling sorry for the kid, I decided to do more than just that."

* * *

It was early in the morning as Leandraand Lita were following Blitz over to the border of Lightning Plateau. Blitz didn't want to run into any of the other Shinx, and so they had decided to do this while most of the pride was most likely still asleep.

"Okay, Blitz, this is it," Leandra said, pointing a paw straight forward. "Just keep going in that direction and you should reach a dirt road. The one called Hercules said he would come meet you, so just keep heading down the road until you meet with a Heracross."

"Mm-hm," Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly.

"You know what a Heracross is, right?" Leandra asked.

"Yes," Blitz responded, nodding his head.

"Good!" Leandra replied, grinning. "Well, then, I wish you luck, my little prince. I don't know too much about this Fenix Town, but from what I've heard, it should be a good place for you to continue your training."

"Okay," Blitz responded, nodding his head.

"Big brother…" Lita said, sadly looking up at Blitz. "I don't want you to leave…"

"Lita…" Blitz responded, hugging his sister. "I'm going to miss you too, but… while I don't know if this is the right thing to do, I do think mom is right about one thing; I need to get away from Lightning Plateau…"

"O-Okay…" Lita replied, wiping away some tears. "You'll write to me, right?"

"Of course," Blitz responded, smiling at his sister, who smiled back at him. "Well, I guess I should get going then… Good-bye, for now."

"Bye-bye!" Lita replied, waving good-bye as her brother began walking away in the direction Leandra had pointed to.

"Take care!" Leandra said, also waving good-bye.

Blitz continued walking, relaxing a bit once he noticed that Lightning Plateau was out of sight. He reached the dirt road, and continued walking down it by himself, until he finally spotted a blue beetle Pokémon ahead.

"Ah, you must be Blitz," the Heracross said, walking over and extending his hand for a handshake. "I am Hercules; I run the dojo in Fenix Town where rescue teams train."

"N-Nice to meet you," Blitz responded, reaching out his paw.

"So, are you nervous?" Hercules asked while shaking Blitz's paw.

"A little…?" Blitz responded. He probably would've rubbed the rings on his forelegs together if Hercules wasn't still holding one of them.

"Well, there's nothing to worry about," Hercules replied, giving Blitz a friendly smile. "The Pokémon of Fenix Town are quite friendly for the most part, and I'm sure you will fit right in once you get used to living there! I've already arranged so you have a place to stay."

"Oh?" Blitz asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yep," Hercules responded. "A nice cozy stone hut, which I thought would be perfect for you."

"Wow… You really did that for me?" Blitz asked. "We don't even know each other yet…"

"Well, I guess it is a bit more than what most mentors do," Hercules replied, smiling. "But I figured it'd help you get comfortable."

"Oh, um… Thanks," Blitz responded, unsure what to say.

"Now, when it comes to training, we will do things at your pace," Hercules explained, as the two began walking down the dirt road together. "We'll only train whenever you feel like it, and there's _no_ pressure. Take as much time as you need."

"Okay," Blitz replied, nodding his head.

"Also, if you have any other problems, you can come to me anytime," Hercules said.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks," Blitz responded, smiling.

For the first time in a while, Blitz felt as if things were looking up for him. Once he got to Fenix Town, he would be surrounded by Pokémon who didn't know him or his father, and that weren't expecting anything of him. While he probably wouldn't be able to escape his destiny, at least here he could be just an ordinary Shinx for a while, and he wanted to enjoy that for long as it lasted.

* * *

**End of Chapter 22**


	23. Aren't true friends supposed to be able to be honest about their feelings?

* * *

Chiaki had just quietly sat there while Hercules told him and Sera about the events that had transpired at Lightning Plateau, which had led to Blitz coming to Fenix Town. Chiaki had been observing Sera while listening to the story, as Sera's ears had kept drooping down a bit, only to perk back up as she tried to pay attention. When Hercules got to the part where Blitz used his Fire Fang on Charge and accidentally damaged the Luxio's leg, Sera's ears had been pointing straight up in shock and had stayed that way until he was done telling them about the battle.

While a lot of things about Blitz now made much more sense, Chiaki had been surprised to hear just how bad things had been for Blitz in his old home after his father had abandoned the pride.

"… And, that's about it," Hercules said, having finished the story.

"No way…" Sera said, her ears drooping down. "Blitz… never told me any of that…"

"Like I said earlier, Blitz didn't want anyone to know," Hercules responded, sighing. "He was afraid that the situation from Lightning Plateau would repeat itself if anyone other than me found out…"

"But, the Pokémon of Fenix Town aren't like that!" Chiaki replied.

"I think he knows that, but he was still afraid it would change the way the Pokémon here saw him," Hercules explained. "He doesn't think anyone would understand his feelings…"

"Understand his feelings…?" Chiaki responded, thinking about it for a moment. "I guess _I_ don't really understand it, but I'm sure there are other Pokémon that would! Right, Sera?"

Sera didn't respond.

"… Sera? Are you okay?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"… I'm going home now," Sera said, getting up and walking away.

"Huh?" Chiaki said, briefly turning and waving good-bye to Hercules before chasing after Sera. "Sera, wait for me!"

Hercules sighed, and returned to his work, hoping that things would turn out okay.

* * *

As Chiaki followed Sera outside, he expected her to be heading towards the café. However, it didn't seem like she was headed in that direction.

"Sera, where are you going?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Didn't you hear me?" Sera responded, not looking at him. "I'm going home now."

"But… Blitz and the others are waiting for us at the café, remember?" Chiaki asked, grabbing onto Sera's tail in an attempt to keep her from leaving.

"Chiaki, let go of me," Sera said, her voice carrying almost no emotion.

Chiaki reluctantly let go of Sera, and watched her walk away.

"… See you tomorrow, then," Chiaki said, before deciding to head over to the café.

* * *

As Chiaki reached the café, he wondered just how he was going to explain what had taken so long and why Sera wasn't with him. He stepped inside, noticing Blitz, Lita, Azure and even Frederick sitting at a table, talking. As he walked over to join them, he realized that Azure seemed to be telling the other three a story.

"… And to this day, whatever reasons he had for jumping into that barrel of tree sap remain a total mystery," Azure said, shrugging slightly.

"Sounds like that must've been a crazy day, huh?" Blitz asked.

"Yeah…" Azure responded, nodding. "I'm not sure if I'll ever get all the details on whatever it was that happened that day."

"Did you at least find out whether they found that missing slingshot that apparently started that whole mess?" Lita asked.

"Apparently it turned up a few days later in a mystery dungeon on the other side of the continent," Azure responded. "As for how it ended up there, I'm guessing there's an even longer story behind that one…"

"Weird," Blitz commented, before noticing Chiaki. "Oh, there you are!"

"Hey, guys," Chiaki said, joining them at their table.

"What took you so long, buddy?" Azure asked, taking a sip of her berry juice.

"Oh, um… Just… got held up by… some stuff," Chiaki responded, having trouble thinking of an explanation. "Yeah… stuff…"

"Where's Sera?" Blitz asked, looking around.

"Oh, she went home," Chiaki responded.

"Why?" Blitz asked, looking concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no… I don't think so," Chiaki responded, not wanting his friends to worry. "I think she was just tired."

"Oh," Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly.

"Azure, are you going to tell that story you told us again now that Chiaki is here?" Frederick asked.

"But I've _just_ told it," Azure responded, shrugging slightly.

"Yeah, I know," Frederick replied, smiling sheepishly. "But I wanted to hear it again!"

"Maybe some other time," Azure responded.

"Oh, okay," Frederick replied, nodding his head. "Maybe you could tell another story, then?"

"Hmm…" Azure thought about it for a moment. "Oh, right! I've got another good one!"

"Yay," Frederick responded, smiling.

"All right, so it all began on a Tuesday morning," Azure explained, motioning for the other four Pokémon to pay attention. "It was raining outside, and we'd just discovered that our Oran berry delivery was late. Then all of a sudden, this Vigoroth comes charging into the café, slams his paws on the counter and shouts: _"Have any of you seen the guy who stole my ukulele!?"_ "

Chiaki sat there as Azure told her story, thinking about how everyone probably had their stories. Things like where they were from, things that happened to them, things they had been witness to… But Chiaki didn't really have any of that, at least nothing from before he was found by Sera and Blitz that day in Meridian Forest. Aside from Elina, he still hadn't regained any memories.

With no memory of where he was from, any family he might have, any experiences he'd made prior to meeting Blitz and Sera… Chiaki felt bad for his friends, and wanted to help them, but with no such memories, how could he truly help them with their problems since he didn't have any experience with the things they'd experienced?

Chiaki thought about it for a moment, not really paying attention to Azure's story, and then remembered what he had said to Hercules earlier.

_"I guess I don't really understand it, but I'm sure there are other Pokémon that would!"_

Of course! If he couldn't truly understand what his friends were going through, then all he had to do was find someone who did! Surely there had to be someone in Fenix Town who had similar concerns and experienced something similar. All he had to do was ask someone with that kind of experience for advice, or ask if they could talk to his friends so they'd understand they weren't alone!

However, who would he ask about such a thing? And since Blitz hadn't wanted anyone to find out about his problems, then perhaps Chiaki would run into a similar problem with other Pokémon? He figured that most Pokémon probably wouldn't want to open up about their personal thoughts to someone they barely knew.

 _"So much for that idea…"_ Chiaki thought, sighing. _"Maybe I should ask Elina for advice…"_

He wondered what Elina had been up these past few days, as he hadn't really seen the Elgyem around lately. Perhaps she had been busy with something? He looked over at Azure, and since he hadn't really been paying much attention to her story, he wasn't really sure what was going on. From what he could tell from the context, it apparently involved Azure having secretly tagged along with a rescue team on a mission, and watched them fight an outlaw over the Vigoroth's stolen ukulele.

He wasn't entirely sure why there also seemed to be a Qwilfish that spoke backwards involved in the events of Azure's story, though.

* * *

At the rescue team HQ, Kala was currently massaging Elina's shoulders in an attempt to get her to relax, but it didn't seem to be helping. They hadn't exactly made much progress with the telepathy lessons, but neither of them planned on giving up despite the lack of results.

"Maybe we should call it day…?" Kala asked, yawning. "I don't think we're getting anywhere…"

Elina looked up at Kala, feeling a bit embarrassed about her lack of progress.

"Hey, don't feel bad…" Kala said, giving Elina a supportive pat on her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll pick up on things quickly once we get past this stage…"

Elina nodded her head slightly, but before she could do anything else, Kala had fallen asleep on top of her.

"Mm… Might need another spoonful of sugar before we can reach the moon…" Kala muttered in her sleep, snoring lightly.

Elina just shook her head, and tried her best to move the sleeping Abra over onto the somewhat worn out looking dark green pillow she always rested on.

* * *

Blitz, Chiaki and Lita eventually headed back for the night, and Blitz and Chiaki began dividing up parts of the straw that made up their beds to make a bed for Lita.

"I hope it's comfortable enough for you," Blitz said, doing his best to make the small pile of straw into a bed. "Since Chiaki's bed was already made up of half of mine, it might be a little small…"

"It's okay, big brother," Lita responded. "I'm sure it's all right."

"Oh, okay then," Blitz replied, smiling to his sister. "We can probably look for something to make it more comfortable tomorrow if it's not enough."

Chiaki quietly watched the way Blitz and Lita talked to one another, while once again finding himself wondering if he too had a family somewhere.

Blitz had Lita and his mother, Sera had her parents and older siblings, Azure had her mother… His teammates all had families, but Chiaki couldn't even remember if he had ever had one. Perhaps he could ask Elina about it, even if her ability to communicate was limited. Still, she was the only one he knew of who could tell him anything about his life prior to his memory loss.

It occurred to Chiaki that he had never really asked if Elina knew how he had lost his memories. Perhaps she knew that too.

"Chiaki, you okay?" Blitz asked, looking over at the Mienfoo. "You've been sort of quiet for a while there."

"Oh, sorry," Chiaki responded. "There was just something on my mind. Nothing serious, though!"

"If you say so…" Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly.

* * *

Sera was sitting in the bedroom she and her older siblings shared, staring out of a window. Flare the Flareon noticed that his younger sister had been acting strangely since she got home, and had decided to go check on her. He walked up and sat down next to her, taking a look through the window to see if she was looking at anything in particular, but there didn't seem to be anything out there at this moment.

"Sera? Is something wrong?" Flare asked. "You barely had any dinner."

"I'm not hungry…" Sera muttered, continuing to stare out the window.

"Sera, I can tell something must've happened today," Flare responded. "Come on, tell me. I won't tell anyone else if you don't want me to."

"It's nothing, really…" Sera replied, shaking her head. "Just found out that I didn't know Blitz as well as I thought I did, that's all…"

"Oh?" Flare responded, tilting his head slightly.

"He kept all this stuff about his old home and stuff hidden from everyone…" Sera explained, her ears drooping down slightly. "He didn't even tell _me_ …"

"Hmm… But doesn't everyone have their secrets?" Flare asked. "Some things that they prefer to keep to themselves?"

"You don't understand!" Sera responded, shaking her head slightly. "I always tell Blitz about things that happen, about my feelings and stuff, but apparently Blitz didn't even trust me enough to tell me he has a younger sister!"

"Oh…" Flare replied, realizing what was going on. "So, you're worried about what this means for your friendship with Blitz, aren't you?"

"Aren't true friends supposed to be able to be honest about their feelings?" Sera asked, a few tears falling from her eyes. "Does this mean… that Blitz and I aren't true friends?"

"I'm sure it's not that bad…" Flare responded, comfortingly wrapping his tail around Sera.

"Did I do anything wrong?" Sera asked, looking up at her brother. "Is it because I didn't show enough interest in Blitz's feelings outside of our rescue team work?"

"I'm sure it's not your fault," Flare responded, hugging his sister. "It's nobody's fault, okay?"

"But… maybe if I had been a better friend, Blitz would've been able to trust me…" Sera said, sighing. "All I ever cared about was my own problems…"

"Sera, I think we both know that's not true," Flare responded.

"Huh?" Sera asked, looking up at Flare.

"While you may be a bit self-centered at times, your feelings for Blitz are real, right?" Flare responded, smiling at Sera. "Your friendship with him clearly means a lot to you."

"I guess…" Sera responded. "Still… How do I know if it means as much to him as it does for me?"

"I'm sure the friendship between the two of you is important to him too," Flare replied. "So, don't worry, sis. I'm sure you and Blitz will work things out."

"I hope you're right…" Sera responded, looking out the window.

"I'm sure things will look a little brighter tomorrow," Flare commented, patting Sera's back reassuringly. "If you have trouble sleeping, you can use my tail as a blanket, if you want to."

"Thanks, Flare," Sera responded, managing a small smile.

Sera continued to look out through the window, hoping that Flare was right and that things would be better tomorrow.

* * *

Elina was sitting on the roof of the café, looking up at the night sky. She was glad that Kala was willing to keep trying despite the lack of progress they were making. Elina still hadn't figured out how she could make herself relax enough to get into the right state of mind for the telepathy to work. There had to be _something_ she could do, but what?

She then thought about Chiaki, realizing she hadn't really seen him around much in the past few days, even if she had heard about how he and his teammates had helped retrieve two of the crystals from Clarion Desert and the Sapphire Seas. Elina hoped all eight crystals would be brought back together soon, and returned to their rightful place.

Although, thinking about it, she found it a bit strange that the crystal thief hadn't tried to interfere directly with the rescue teams' work yet… Thinking about that Sigilyph made Elina shudder, and she decided to go find a secluded spot to sleep.

* * *

Deep inside a forest full of plant life with a shimmering silvery color was a cottage where a purple witch-like ghost Pokémon and her younger apprentice lived. The apprentice, a smaller dark blue ghost Pokémon resembling a floating head with red beads around her neck and hair with pink tips, was watching the older ghost Pokémon chant an incantation while focusing her energies on a small black box made of stone with purple gem stones adorning the sides.

A shadowy purple aura was surrounding the box as the Mismagius chanted her spell, but it watched in anticipation as the Mismagius began chanting the last part of the spell.

The Mismagius focused all her energy into the spell as she finished the last part of the incantation, only to be knocked back from the purple aura exploding.

"Oh, _not again_!" the Mismagius said, floating down to the stone box to make sure that the explosion hadn't broken it.

"Wow, that was a really great explosion!" the Misdreavus commented, giggling a little.

"Malefica, this is _not_ a laughing matter!" the Mismagius responded, sighing. "I just don't understand… We've gathered all the necessary materials and built the box after the instructions on the scroll, and I am pretty sure I pronounced every part of the incantation right…"

"What do we need the box thing-y for?" Malefica asked, cheerfully floating around. "It has something to do with something your pen-pal told you, right?"

"… Malefica, haven't you been paying attention?" the Mismagius responded.

"Um… Paid attention to what?" Malefica asked, smiling sheepishly.

The Mismagius just sighed, and decided to just call it night. It would be easier to look over that old scroll again during the day when the sun was out. If she kept trying, she would hopefully be able to successfully cast the spell.

"Maybe I should ask Stella if she can help me figure out why this isn't working…" the Mismagius muttered, telekinetically picking up the stone box and putting it on a shelf.

She then closed her eyes, and went to sleep so she could regain her magical energy.

It had been a long day, and even if some things hadn't gone as well as some would've hoped, at least there would be new chances to get it right tomorrow.

* * *

**End of Chapter 23**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, today it's been five years since I uploaded the original version of the first chapter on Serebii.forums. Time sure flies, huh? I feel like my writing has improved a lot over these past few years as I've been working on the story, although I still feel like I still have a lot to learn. I hope to keep improving my skills even further!
> 
> Anyways, the story here still hasn't caught up to the story as it is on the other two sites I've posted it on, but hey, it's getting closer. Hope you're enjoying it so far! Feel free to leave a comment!


	24. Trust you? What do you mean?

* * *

The sun was slowly rising in the sky to signal the start of a new day, and the Pokémon working at the various shops in Fenix Town were in the process of getting everything ready before the various rescue teams were up. Marietta the Ledian was nearly done setting things up, as she seemed to usually be one of the first Pokémon to arrive at the town plaza early in the morning.

As she was looking over things to make sure she had gotten everything ready, she noticed a certain dark blue beetle Pokémon walking by.

"Good morning, Hercules!" Marietta called out, waving one of her four hands.

"Oh, good morning to you too, Marietta," Hercules responded, waving back.

"So, what are you doing out here?" Marietta asked. "Shouldn't you be at the dojo by now?"

"Well yeah, but I think Lotus and the others have it under control," Hercules responded, shrugging slightly. "I just kind of needed some fresh air, and felt like going for a little morning walk…"

"I see," Marietta replied, nodding her head slightly. "Is there anything on your mind?"

"Sort of," Hercules responded, sighing. "I got talked into revealing something to someone that someone else would've preferred to keep a secret…"

"Oh?" Marietta inquired, tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah…" Hercules replied. "Part of me felt it would be best if they knew, but I wanted the one who told me to keep the secret to tell them themselves…"

"I see…" Marietta responded, nodding her head slightly. "Well, I'm sure you'll be able to sort things out."

"You're probably right," Hercules replied, giving a small smile. "I'm just not sure how, yet."

"Words can bring you a long way, you know," Marietta responded, winking. "They may not listen at first, but just try a few more times and I'm sure you'll get through to them."

"… Thanks, Marietta," Hercules replied, smiling at the Ledian.

"No problem," Marietta responded, grinning. "Glad to help out another bug type."

"Well, I guess I should head over to the dojo, then," Hercules said, waving good-bye to Marietta. "Nice talking to you!"

"Have a nice day!" Marietta responded, smiling as she watched the Heracross fly away in the direction of the dojo. "I'm sure he'll have those problems of his sorted out quickly. He's such a nice guy." Marietta giggled a little. "And he's quite handsome too! Of course, this isn't the time for that. Right now, I've got some work to do!"

And so, Marietta took one more quick look to make sure that everything was in its place, and that the bank was ready to open. The Ledian had a good feeling about this day.

* * *

Lita had woken up as the sun's bright and warm rays shone in through the windows, and had decided to wake up her older brother as well. She carefully grabbed onto one of Blitz's ears with her teeth, making sure not to accidentally hurt him in the process by biting him too hard as she started playfully pulling at his ear. Blitz eventually opened his golden eyes and looked over at his sister.

"Okay, okay… I'm awake," Blitz said, getting up.

"Good morning, big brother!" Lita said, smiling at her brother. "Slept well?"

"I suppose," Blitz responded, yawning and stretching. "And you?"

"I slept pretty well," Lita replied, nodding her head slightly.

"That's good," Blitz said, smiling at Lita.

Lita then ran up to Chiaki, and started shaking his shoulder with her paws.

"You should get up too now!" Lita said, giggling a little.

"All right…" Chiaki responded, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "So, what are we going to do today?"

"Well, I guess the first thing we should do is head over to the town plaza and see if Sera has gotten there yet," Blitz said.

"Oh, right," Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

Chiaki hoped that Sera was feeling better today. She'd seemed pretty upset when she went home the day before after learning of the things from Blitz's past that he had never told her about. He wasn't really sure what to say to her, or if there was a way he could help her and Blitz.

As the three of them headed into the town plaza, they began looking around for Sera, while other rescue teams were going about their preparations as usual. Sting and his teammates were buying some items at the item shop, Frosty and Melody seeming to be in a bit of a disagreement on which items would be more important on their next mission.

Mirage and her teammates were over at the bank, Marietta waiting for Mirage to decide on how much money she would deposit into their team account, how much she would send to her family and how much they would use to buy items today.

Lionel the Linoone was looking through the items Regina the Servine had stored away, as she and her teammates had received a request from a Pokémon wanting a particular item. Zap the Rotom was currently talking to Arbolith, asking if the Suduwoodo was interested in linking a few moves. Based on the impatient look of Calder the Wartortle, leader of the rescue team Arbolith was on, it seemed the Sudowoodo was taking a long time to decide.

Bijou the Sableye seemed to have a small pebble stuck between her teeth, and was currently attempting to use the lock-picking tool she used to open treasure boxes as a tooth pick while waiting for customers to show up, and Celio the Togetic was looking after a Pokémon egg one of the other rescue teams had asked him to look after.

"Anyone see Sera yet?" Chiaki asked, looking around.

"I don't see her," Lita responded, shrugging slightly.

"Maybe she's at the HQ or the café?" Blitz suggested, thinking for a moment. "Let's check the café first. That way we can also bring Azure along if she's not already at the HQ with Sera."

* * *

As Blitz, Lita and Chiaki arrived at the café; they tried looking around for Azure and Sera, but couldn't see either Pokémon. Frederick didn't seem to be there either. While they assumed they were at the rescue team HQ, they decided to ask River first to make sure, once River was done talking to a vulture-like Pokémon with a bone-like skirt that was currently standing at the counter.

The Mandibuzz looked a bit disappointed as River finished saying something, and left the café while River waved good-bye. Once the Mandibuzz had left, River shuddered slightly and looked somewhat disturbed.

"Ugh, dealing with customers of mainly carnivorous species is always such an awkward experience…" River muttered. "Although this was probably the strangest yet…"

"You okay, River?" Chiaki asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" the Azumarill responded, nodding slightly. "So, I'm guessing you guys are looking for Azure?"

"That's right and we're looking for Sera too," Blitz replied, nodding his head. "I'm guessing they're already at the rescue team HQ?"

"Yes, Azure headed over there just a little while ago," River responded. "I think Frederick decided to tag along as well."

"Okay, thanks," Blitz said, turning to Chiaki and Lita. "Let's head to the HQ, then."

* * *

Nothing seemed different than usual at the rescue team HQ, with rescue teams looking at the various boards and choosing their missions for the day. Blitz finally spotted Sera, Azure and Frederick near the regular mission board, waiting for the rescue team that was currently selecting some missions off the board to finish. Blitz, Chiaki and Lita quickly went over to their friends.

"There you guys are!" Chiaki said, smiling. "We've been looking for you guys!"

"Well, we've just been waiting for you guys to show up, and waiting for these other rescue teams to finish choosing their jobs for the day," Azure responded.

"I just came along because I felt like it," Frederick commented.

Chiaki looked over at Sera, noticing that she seemed to be unusually quiet at the moment. He wondered if she was still upset.

"So, see any good missions on there?" Blitz asked, looking up at the mission board. "One more mission should be enough to earn us that Silver Rank."

"That's great," Sera responded, not sounding particularly excited.

"… You okay, Sera?" Blitz asked, feeling concerned by the lack of enthusiasm in Sera's reply.

"I'm fine," Sera replied in the same tone.

"Are you sure?" Blitz asked, still concerned for his friend.

"So… How about we try that mission up there in the top right corner?" Chiaki said, trying to distract Blitz.

"Oh? Let's see…" Blitz responded, taking a few moments to read through the request. "Hmm… It's an escort mission, and which means one of us would have to stay behind to make room for the Pokémon needing to be escorted."

"Oh, I didn't think about that," Chiaki replied, stopping to think for a moment. "I guess whoever stays behind can look after Lita, then, so maybe-"

"All right, then," Sera said, nodding her head slightly. "Azure will stay and look after Lita, while the three of us do this mission."

"Uh, okay…" Chiaki responded, glancing around.

"Wait, why do _I_ have to stay behind?" Azure asked, looking rather surprised. "I mean, Lita is a cute kid, and all, but I didn't join this team so I could be a babysitter, you know!"

"Don't worry, Azure," Frederick said, smiling. "I'll help you look after her!"

As Azure reluctantly agreed to stay behind with Lita, Chiaki felt a bit uncomfortable as he, Sera and Blitz headed out to meet with the client. He was going to suggest that Blitz stay behind so he and his sister could spend some time together, while Azure came with him and Sera, but Sera had interrupted him before he could get that far. Chiaki had hoped to discuss the situation with Sera, but that would be difficult if Blitz was with them.

He could tell that Blitz was already suspecting something was wrong by Sera's behavior, and Chiaki was worried that he would find out that they had talked Hercules into revealing his secret and get mad at them. Maybe he could just keep Blitz distracted by changing the subject whenever it came up, and continue doing so until he and Sera had discussed how to deal with the situation.

It didn't seem like the most reliable plan, though. Still, it was the only thing he could think of, and it would have to do until he could come up with a better plan.

* * *

The trio eventually came across the entrance to the mystery dungeon, where a small blue penguin Pokémon was waiting for them.

"Ah, you must be the rescue team that took on my job?" the Piplup asked.

"That's right!" Chiaki said, smiling. "So, you need our help to find a certain item?"

"Yeah," the Piplup replied. "So, I made this bet with some Pokémon, and unless I can get that Joy Ribbon from the ninth floor of this dungeon, I'll have to only use my left wing to write for a month. Now, the punishment itself isn't that bad, since I'm actually left-winged and so that's the one I use to write with anyways, but my species is known for having quite a sense of self-pride, and so, I'd be _really_ mad if I lost the bet."

"Understood," Blitz said, nodding his head. "So, you need our help to retrieve it because the wild Pokémon are too much for you?"

"Pretty much," the Piplup responded, nodding. "But don't tell anyone, okay? If anyone asks, I did this without any help."

"Isn't that kind of cheating?" Chiaki asked.

"Hey, they never said anything about not being allowed to bring help," the Piplup responded, winking. "But again, if anyone says anything, I'll deny it. So, let's get going, shall we?"

* * *

It didn't take long before the four Pokémon were exploring the first few floors of the mystery dungeon, although Sera didn't seem to be particularly interested in what was going on even as she led the group. Chiaki could tell that Blitz could tell that something was wrong, and even the Piplup seemed to be making a note of Sera's behavior.

"So, the Eevee is your leader, right?" the Piplup asked. "Is she always this quiet?"

"Not really…" Blitz responded, shaking his head.

"She's probably just a little tired today," Chiaki commented, trying to distract the two Pokémon. "Or maybe she's just concentrating _really_ hard on guiding us through this dungeon? Better not disturb her, then!"

"… Chiaki, is something wrong?" Blitz asked, glancing over his shoulder at the Mienfoo.

"Uh… Where would you get an idea like that?" Chiaki responded, chuckling nervously. "So, um… Let's all be quiet so Sera can focus!"

Chiaki's attempts to convince Blitz that there was nothing wrong only made the Shinx even more suspicious. He could tell that Chiaki was hiding something, and it had something to do with why Sera seemed so out of it today. Had something happened the previous night while the two of them had gone off somewhere else while he, Lita and Azure went to the café?  
This wasn't the right time to confront them about it, though. It'd have to wait for after their current mission was finished.

* * *

Azure, Frederick and Lita were taking a walk, telling Lita more about themselves since they hadn't been able to come up with much else to do.

"Wow, you only joined their team two days ago?" Lita asked.

"That's right!" Azure responded, grinning. "But I'd been on a few missions with your brother and his friends a few times before, so I already had some experience with how they do things."

"I'd like to join too," Frederick said. "Except I don't know if I'd be any good at it… I also haven't been on any adventures with them like Azure has…"

"Don't worry, buddy," Azure responded, patting the Deino on the back. "I'm sure you'd do just fine!"

"You're all really good friends, aren't you?" Lita asked, giggling a little.

"Well, yeah," Azure responded, shrugging slightly. "What about you? Do you have any friends back home?"

"Aside from my big brother, I don't really have all that many friends back home," Lita admitted. "I may not seem like it, but I'm actually kind of shy towards the other Shinx in the pride. I never know how to approach them, or what to say."

"Don't worry about that," Azure said, patting Lita on the head. "Everyone has a few such moments throughout their lives where they just don't know how to break the ice."

"For breaking ice, I recommend fire or fighting moves," Frederick commented.

"Not _that_ kind of ice, silly!" Azure responded, giggling a little.

"I have been spending some time with a Luxio in the pride lately, though," Lita explained. "A few days after my brother left, I ran into the Luxio by accident, and he took me to this mystery dungeon in an attempt to help me overcome my shyness."

"Oh, is that so?" Azure asked.

"Yeah," Lita responded, nodding her head. "At first, it felt a bit strange, but once we'd spent some time together in that dungeon, we realized that we were getting along pretty well."

"Good for you," Azure said, smiling at the young Shinx. "I assume he's a bit older than you, seeing as he is evolved?"

"Yes, he is," Lita replied. "His age isn't what was strange about him and me becoming friends, though."

"Oh?" Azure inquired. "What was it, then?"

"I can't tell you," Lita responded, shaking her head.

"Oh, okay," Azure replied, shrugging slightly. "If it's a bit too personal, I'll stay out of it."

"I'm getting kind of hungry…" Frederick said. "Can we head back to the café?"

"Sure, why not?" Azure responded, grinning. "Are you feeling hungry too, Lita?"

"Not really," Lita replied. "I am a bit thirsty, though!"

"Well, let's go, then!" Azure said, grinning as she started running ahead. "I'm going to get there first!"

"Oh, we'll see about that!" Lita responded, giggling as she started running after Azure.

"Huh? Hey, wait up!" Frederick said, trying his best to keep up with the two girls.

* * *

On the ninth floor of the mystery dungeon, the Piplup snickered to himself as he ran up and picked up the Joy Ribbon. Holding the ribbon in his two small blue wings, the Piplup ran up to the rescue team.

"Thanks for helping me out!" the Piplup said, grinning. "And if anyone of those guys I made the bet with sees me giving you your rewards at the rescue team HQ later, just tell them that they must've gotten me confused with another Piplup, okay?"

And with that, the rescue team badge shone with a golden light and teleported the Piplup back to the HQ.

"Okay, let's go back…" Sera said, preparing to use the rescue team badge to return to town.

"Hold on, Sera," Blitz responded, stopping her before she could use the badge. "I need to talk to you."

"Uh, Blitz? Maybe we should wait until we're back in town?" Chiaki suggested.

"I need to talk to both of you!" Blitz said, looking at his teammates. "What is going on?"

"W-What are you talking about?" Chiaki asked.

"Don't lie to me!" Blitz responded, glaring at Chiaki. "You two are hiding something from me, and I'd like you to tell me what's going on!"

"Uh…" Chiaki wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't want to lie to Blitz, but he didn't want to hurt his feeling either by telling him the truth. So, what could he possibly say?

"… Blitz," Sera said, looking up at Blitz. "… Do you trust me?"

"Huh?" Blitz responded, tilting his head slightly. "Trust you? What do you mean?"

"Well, I've been sharing details about my family, and my feelings with you," Sera said, making eye-contact with Blitz. "However, apparently you didn't trust me enough to do the same."

"Wait… What?" Blitz responded, blinking a few times. "Where… is this all coming from…?"

"I talked to Hercules," Sera explained, glancing down at the ground. "He… told me and Chiaki everything…"

Blitz went silent, and stared wide-eyed at his two teammates in disbelief. He started breathing heavily as he processed this information, shaking his head and taking a few steps backwards as he looked back and forth between his two teammates.

"Blitz, I'm sorry," Sera said, looking away. "I just… had to know, and… if you don't trust me enough to even tell me-"

"And _why_ would I trust someone who doesn't even _respect_ me enough to keep their noses out of where they don't belong!?" Blitz growled, glaring at Sera.

"B-Blitz…" Sera stuttered, visibly frightened at his sudden anger. "I didn't mean to-"

" _Shut up!_ " Blitz snarled back at Sera, before turning away from his friends. "Both of you… Just… _leave me alone_!"

Blitz ran off, running deeper into the dungeon. Sera and Chiaki stood there in a stunned silence for a few moments, before giving chase. However, they couldn't see Blitz anywhere, and it seemed the Shinx had already gotten far away from them.

"Did he already make it to the end of the dungeon?" Chiaki wondered, stopping for a few moments to think. "So, if we get to the end of the dungeon, we can…"

Chiaki's train of thought was interrupted as Sera fell to the ground, curling up and burying her face in her forepaws.

"Hey… Don't give up!" Chiaki said, petting Sera. "I'm sure we can still catch up to him!"

"There's no point…" Sera muttered, shaking a little. "Let's just… head back to town…"

"Huh? But we can't just leave without Blitz!" Chiaki exclaimed. "He's our friend, after all!"

"I don't think he wants to be friends with us anymore…" Sera said, looking up at Chiaki with tears in her eyes. "… And it's all because of me."

Chiaki was unsure what to do, as Sera began sobbing. The Mienfoo realized that right now, Sera needed him more, and sat down next to her, gently petting the Eevee, unsure of what else he could really do for her.

"I should've been a better friend…" Sera sobbed, wiping away some tears with a paw. "If I had been acted like a true friend to Blitz, then this wouldn't have happened! It's my fault… all my fault!"

"Sera… That's not… You're haven't…" Chiaki wasn't really sure what to say to comfort his teammate, although it didn't seem like Sera was listening anyways. Still, he had to try to say _something_. "Sera, don't give up… I… I'm sure Blitz will forgive us!"

"No, he won't…" Sera responded, shaking her head slightly. "Because… I was such a bad friend… and I've ruined everything…"

"Hey, things may seem bad now, but… I'm sure he'll forgive us," Chiaki said, even if he wasn't sure if he was right or not. "We're still friends; we're still a team… It'll be all right…"

* * *

Blitz was running as fast as he could, not particularly paying attention to or caring about where he was going. Teardrops were falling from his eyes as he ran, further and further away from everyone else.

"How could Hercules betray me like that…?" Blitz muttered. "And Sera… and Chiaki… How could they…?"

Even as he bumped into or tripped over things, Blitz just continued running without paying much attention to his surroundings.

"Still… I shouldn't have said those things to Sera…!" Blitz wheezed, more tears streaming down his face as he continued running.

* * *

After returning to town and picking up their rewards, Sera and Chiaki had a bit of a difficult time explaining to Azure, Frederick and Lita why Blitz hadn't come back with them. They eventually decided that if Blitz hadn't returned by the morning, they would all head out to look for him. And so, Sera returned home, while Chiaki followed Lita back to Blitz's stone hut.

"I hope big brother will be okay…" Lita said, sadly lying down on her bed.

"Me too," Chiaki replied, sighing. "It doesn't feel right to leave him out there like this…"

"Yeah…" Lita responded, nodding her head slightly.

The two Pokémon were quiet for a moment, before Lita spoke up again.

"Don't worry, big brother is never angry for long," Lita said, giving Chiaki a small smile. "If you and Sera just tell him how you feel, then I'm sure he will understand."

"Thanks, Lita," Chiaki responded, smiling back. "I just hope that we all work things out quickly, for Sera's sake…"

* * *

Sera was sitting in the bedroom, staring at the rescue team badge. The top half of the badge was now silver colored, and they had received a bigger treasure bag that would allow them to bring more items.

"So… We did get that Silver Rank…" Sera muttered, sighing. "But… it doesn't really matter… if Blitz and I are no longer friends…"

Unbeknownst to Sera, Flare was quietly watching her with a concerned look on his face. The Flareon felt sad to see his younger sister in such a state, but figured she'd probably prefer to be alone right now. However, Flare definitely intended to do whatever he could to help his little sister.

* * *

**End of Chapter 24**


	25. That is the future that has been decided for me.

* * *

Sera had gotten up early the next morning, and didn't even bother waiting for breakfast to be ready before heading for the town plaza. She impatiently paced back and forth while waiting for the others to show up, until she finally spotted Azure and Frederick, and Chiaki and Lita walking over.

"So… Since Blitz isn't with you guys, I assume he didn't come back at any point during the night?" Sera said, looking over at Chiaki and Lita.

"I'm afraid not," Chiaki responded, shaking his head.

"Guess we need to head out and start looking for him, then," Azure said. "So, where do we begin?"

"I'm not sure…" Sera responded, her ears drooping down slightly.

"I don't think the five of us will be enough, even if we do split into teams," Chiaki said. "So, we should probably get more Pokémon to help us search before we do anything else."

"That's a really good idea, Chiaki," Azure responded, smiling at the Mienfoo. "I'm sure the other rescue teams will gladly help out!"

"Someone should tell Hercules too!" Lita added.

"All right… So, the first thing we need to do, is go around town and ask for help," Sera said, nodding her head. "We'll get it done faster if we split up, so I'll head up to the rescue team HQ!"

"I'll try at the café!" Azure said, smirking.

"I can go to the dojo and tell Hercules!" Lita suggested.

"Need anyone to follow you there?" Chiaki asked.

"No, I think I can find the way on my own," Lita responded, shaking her head.

"All right, then," Chiaki replied, looking over at Frederick. "Then I guess maybe the two of us should just ask around town?"

"Sounds good to me," Frederick responded, nodding his head.

"Okay, now that everyone knows what to do, let's go!" Sera said.

And with that, the five Pokémon went off to let other Pokémon know what was going on and ask them for help in finding their missing teammate.

* * *

Blitz groggily opened his eyes, raising his head slightly and looking around at his surroundings. Judging from the appearance of the place he was in, he had somehow ended up inside a mystery dungeon. He slowly got onto his feet, trying to remember how he had gotten there in the first place.

"Which dungeon is this…?" Blitz wondered, looking around for a moment before remembering the events of yesterday. "Oh… right… Sera and I… we... we got into a fight…"

Blitz began walking around, unsure of what he was supposed to do now. Lita was probably worried about him, so he had to at least get out of this dungeon, and find a way back to Fenix town. But what was he going to say to Sera and Chiaki? And he didn't know what to say to Hercules either.

However, before he could really give the matter any further thought, a sudden breeze caught the Shinx off-guard. Watching several leaves and pebbles being carried away by the wind, Blitz began to panic as he realized what was happening around him and that he had to find the stairs to the next floor as soon as possible.

As the wind calmed down, he began running through the dungeon, looking for the stairs. Complicating things were the wild Pokémon, who would walk into his path.

Blitz tried to quickly fight his way past them, and continued running. The wind was starting to pick up again, and it seemed to be getting stronger. The stairs were still nowhere in sight, and Blitz was starting to feel a bit disoriented. Was he getting anywhere closer to the stairs, or had he just been moving further away from them? Was he even going anywhere, or was he just going in a big circle?

He kept running, until the wind got so intense he couldn't stay on his feet… and everything went dark.

* * *

Sera had returned to the town plaza, looking around to see if any of the other four Pokémon had finished their rounds around Fenix town. Chiaki and Frederick, accompanied by a certain Elgyem, soon showed up, with Azure closely behind.

"Okay, I talked to the rescue teams," Sera said. "While most of them had missions to do, they did at least say they'd keep an eye out for Blitz."

"That's good," Azure responded. "I didn't have as much luck on my end, though."

"Neither did me or Frederick," Chiaki said, shrugging slightly. "Although I did run into Elina, and it seems she wants to help out."

"Is Lita here?" Frederick asked, sniffing the air.

"Here I am!" Lita shouted, as she ran up to the others, along with a certain Heracross.

"I asked Lotus and the others to keep an eye on the dojo," Hercules said. "I'll help you guys look for Blitz."

"We're willing to help out too!" another voice called out, and Sera turned around to see all five or her older siblings walking up, to her surprise.

"Huh?" Sera said, tilting her head slightly. "What are you guys doing here?"

"It was Flare's idea," Amethyst explained. "He suggested that all of us help search for your friend."

"Flare… You did that for me?" Sera asked, smiling as she looked at her siblings. "And… all of you decided to come along?"

"Well, I didn't have anything better to do today," Volt responded, smiling.

"And I couldn't just stand by and do nothing when my little sister needs help," Sirena said.

"I was just planning on taking a nap or something, but this was more important," Yoru added, shrugging slightly.

"And I decided the chores I was going to do could wait," Amethyst said, smiling at Sera. "I'm sure mom and dad will understand."

"Isn't this great, Sera?" Flare asked, grinning. "It's been a while since we all did something as a family, hasn't it?"

"Flare… Everyone… Thank you!" Sera responded, wagging her tail happily.

With Sera's older siblings joining the other gathered Pokémon, Sera felt more confident that their search would be successful. She cleared her throat, and was about to say something, when a certain Gothorita suddenly came running.

"Everyone, I have something important to say!" Bow shouted, before tripping and falling on her face.

"What is it, Bow?" Chiaki asked, while he and Elina helped her back onto her feet.

"I had a vision!" Bow responded. "I saw Blitz… he was lost in a mystery dungeon, and this powerful blast of wind sent him flying!"

"Wait, you saw Blitz?" Sera asked, running up to Bow. "Where was he? What was the mystery dungeon like?"

"Hmm…" Bow thought about it for a few moments, before sighing and shaking her head. "I can't remember… Sorry everyone…"

Sera sighed, but didn't say anything about Bow's forgetfulness. It was irrelevant at the moment, and for now, they had to just keep the focus on finding Blitz.

"Okay… So, what do we do now?" Sera asked, looking at the gathered Pokémon.

"Split up into groups?" Azure suggested.

"Oh, good idea," Sera responded. "Let's see… We've got Chiaki, Azure, Frederick, Lita, Hercules, Elina, my older siblings and Bow… So, that means there are twelve of us!"

"Uh, Sera?" Lita said. "You forgot to count yourself."

"Oh! Uh, right…" Sera responded, giggling a little. "So, um… That means there are thirteen of us!"

"Good to see I'm not the only one who forgets stuff once in a while," Bow commented, feeling a little better about herself.

"All right, let's decide who will go together!" Sera said, grinning.

* * *

After a few minutes of discussion, they decided on what the groups would be. Lita had decided to team up with Sera, insisting they be a team until Sera eventually agreed. Chiaki and Elina were also going to be searching together, which would also be an opportunity for the two to spend some time together as they hadn't seen each other in the past few days.

Azure had decided to go with Frederick, as the two simply just got along pretty well. To Sirena's surprise, Amethyst had chosen her as her partner for the search. Flare and Volt had also decided to search together. That just left Yoru, Hercules and Bow, the three of them forming the last group.

"All right, that's six groups," Sera said, nodding her head and looking satisfied, before rolling out the map. "So, I guess the next course of action is figuring out where we'll search…"

"I think we last saw Blitz here," Chiaki commented, pointing to the point on the map representing the mystery dungeon they had escorted a Pokémon through the day before. "So, I guess that's a good place to start…"

"Let me take a look…" Amethyst said, examining the area on the map for a moment.

"So, what do you think, sis?" Volt asked, scratching behind his ear.

"Well, from the looks of things… Blitz may have ended up either here," Amethyst explained, pointing to a place on the map, before moving her paw to a different spot. "Or here, depending on where he went from this fork in the path, here."

"All right, then," Hercules said, nodding his head. "I suggest we send three of the teams to search one area, while the other three search the other area."

Everyone agreed this was the best course of action, and headed up to the rescue team HQ, so they could ask Kala to teleport them to the fork in the path that Amethyst had pointed out, which would be the starting point for both sets of groups.

* * *

Blitz groaned and rubbed his head, slowly coming to his senses. Looking around at his surroundings, he was no longer in that mystery dungeon, but he wasn't entirely sure where that mysterious force had dropped him off. He got onto his feet, and began looking around. He figured that if he explored the area, he might come across something that'd give him an idea of where he was.

* * *

After arriving at the fork in the road, the six groups had decided on which three would take one path, and which three would take the other. Sera wasn't sure exactly why Lita had insisted on going with her, since it would've seemed more likely that Lita would choose to go with Hercules, since he was both older and the mentor of her older brother. Although, if Lita's senses were anywhere as good as her brother's, then hopefully they would be able to track him down soon.

Sera was sure Blitz would be able to take care of himself until they could find him, but she still worried about him. And when they did find him, what was she going to say to him? She knew she had to apologize, but what was the best way to do that?

"Hey, Sera?" Lita said, looking up at the Eevee.

"What is it?" Sera asked.

"You seem worried," Lita responded.

"Oh, well… You know, Blitz is missing, and I just want to find him," Sera said.

"I see," Lita replied, smiling. "I'm glad Blitz has a good friend like you."

"I'm not so sure if I've been that great of a friend, really…" Sera responded.

"What do you mean?" Lita asked. "From what I can tell, my big brother is someone important to you, and I think he feels the same way about you."

"Why do you think that?" Sera replied, looking at Lita curiously.

"Well, it's just a feeling I'm getting," Lita responded, smiling.

"Uh… Thanks, I guess," Sera replied, looking around. "Although, right now I'm not even sure what I'm going to say to him when we find him…"

"Don't worry about that right now," Lita said. "Right now, we have to find him, and then you can think of what to say!"

"Oh, right," Sera responded, nodding her head slightly. "So, um… Let's try looking over here."

Lita really was mature for a Shinx her age, or at least she seemed to understand and pick up on things quickly. It made Sera feel a bit more at ease in some ways, and it meant that having to look after Lita while they looked for Blitz wouldn't be too difficult for her. Sera and Lita were both younger siblings in their families, but for once Sera could get a feel of what being an older sibling was like.

Maybe that was part of the reason why Lita had chosen Sera as her partner for this search?

"I wonder if the other groups have found anything yet…" Sera muttered.

* * *

Chiaki and Elina were exploring another area, but they hadn't seen any signs of Blitz yet either. Chiaki was glad to have Elina along and hoped to get a chance to talk to her about some of the things that were on his mind. However, he hadn't yet figured out where to begin, and Elina seemed to be deep in thought about something as well.

"So, um… I'm really glad you came along to help us look for Blitz," Chiaki said, smiling at Elina. "Haven't seen you in a while, so I kind of wanted to talk with you…"

Elina turned her head and looked at Chiaki, curiously tilting her head.

"While I'm not in a hurry to get my memories back, I find it a bit difficult to help my friends with their problems…" Chiaki explained, sighing.

Elina would've liked to talk about her own problems as well, but there wasn't really any way for her to do so as she was now. At least she could still listen to Chiaki, even if she felt a bit nervous when he brought up his lack of memories.

"Since I don't remember anything from before Blitz and Sera found me, I don't really have any previous experiences of my own that would help me relate to the experiences they've gone through…" Chiaki said, looking at Elina. "Do you understand what I mean?"

Elina nodded her head slightly.

"So… Is there anything you can tell me about myself?" Chiaki asked. "Like, where I'm from, or something about what my family is like?"

Elina's three fingers flashed erratically for a brief moment, before the Elgyem shook her head.

"… Really, is there nothing you can tell me?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly. "Then again, I guess it is a bit difficult to explain via body language, huh…"

Elina just nodded her head, relieved that he didn't try asking for any further explanation.

"Oh, okay…" Chiaki responded, sighing. "I was just sort of hoping to remember something that would let me help my friends…"

Elina patted Chiaki on the back to comfort him, feeling a bit bad about not being able to answer his questions. Then again, she wasn't really sure how she would've answered his questions if she could.

"Thanks, Elina," Chiaki said, smiling at Elina. "Guess I'll just have to think of another way to help my teammates out, huh?"

Elina shrugged her shoulders slightly, not really sure how to respond.

"So, how have you been, anyways?" Chiaki asked. "You look like you also have things on your mind."

Elina looked down at the ground, tapping her hands together.

"Ah, so something's been bothering you too, huh?" Chiaki asked, patting Elina on the shoulder. "Do you have any way of expressing it, that is, if you want to tell me?"

Elina shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Maybe later, then," Chiaki said, looking around. "Let's focus on the search."

Elina nodded, and the two of them continued looking for Blitz.

* * *

Hercules hoped that they would find Blitz soon, feeling partially responsible for his running away. He hoped Blitz wasn't too mad at him for breaking his promise. As he and Yoru were looking over the area, the Heracross realized that someone was missing from their group.

"Uh… Where did Bow go?" Hercules asked.

"I don't know," Yoru replied, shrugging slightly. "I could've sworn she was right behind us."

"… Well, guess there are now two Pokémon we need to find," Hercules commented, sighing.

"Where do you think she wandered off to?" Yoru asked, glancing around.

"I'm not sure…" Hercules responded. "Depends on when we lost track of her…"

"She's probably not that far away," Yoru said. "So, let's just look around for a bit until we find her, and then we can continue searching for that other guy."

Hercules nodded, and the two began looking around for Bow. He hoped that Yoru was right, and that Bow wasn't too far away.

* * *

Bow was wandering around on her own, as she had gotten separated from the rest of the group at some point. She had been walking around, looking at the scenery, until she had remembered why she was there. Bow was now looking around for the others, but couldn't see any signs of any of them.

"Oh, where did everybody go?" Bow muttered, sighing. "I can't _believe_ I got myself lost like this… Why must I be such a scatterbrain at times?"

Bow continued looking around, and was about to call out for her friends when she suddenly noticed a shadow flying overhead. She glanced upwards, but couldn't see anyone.

"Who's there?" Bow asked, looking around nervously. "Is that you, H-Hercules?"

Bow jumped as an ominous laughter suddenly echoed around her, and shivered as she looked around for the source of the sound, but still couldn't see anyone else there.

"N-No! Leave me alone!" Bow shouted, and ran off.

The ominous laughter continued echoing as Bow ran, making it difficult for her to tell whether she was actually getting further away from whatever Pokémon it belonged to.

"Are you _scared_ , Bow?" a voice said, and Bow's eyes widened as a shadow flew past overhead just as she heard the voice.

"W-Who are you!?" Bow screamed, closing her eyes. "And how do you know my name!?"

As she only heard more laughter, Bow covered her closed eyes with her hands and continued running blindly in the same direction, until she tripped over something and fell over.

"Ah, n-no…" Bow muttered, shivering as she lay there in the grass, still covering her eyes.

"... Bow, is that you?" a different voice asked, and Bow realized she could no longer hear the ominous laughter. She opened her eyes to see a familiar Shinx looking at her with a confused look on his face.

"Oh, Blitz! Thank goodness I found you…" Bow said, hugging the Shinx tightly. "There was this shadow, and this creepy voice, and it kept following me and it was really, _really_ scary!"

"Whoa, calm down!" Blitz responded, comfortingly patting Bow's back while glancing around to see if there was anything unusual in the area. "I can't see any creepy shadows, so I guess whatever frightened you must've left."

"That's a relief…" Bow replied, sighing. "That was really strange, though… It knew my name… Have I heard that voice somewhere before…?"

"I wouldn't know that," Blitz responded, shrugging slightly. "But what were you doing all the way out here anyways?"

"Huh? Why am I here?" Bow replied, thinking for a few moments before remembering the reason why she had come. "Oh, that's right! We were looking for you!"

"Who's "we"?" Blitz asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Well, you see, Sera and your other teammates were worried about you since you didn't come home last night, so they gathered up a bunch of us to help them look for you!" Bow explained, smiling at Blitz.

"… They did?" Blitz responded, blinking a few times.

"They sure did!" Bow replied, nodding her head. "They're all looking for you as we speak!"

"… They were really worried about me, huh…" Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Didn't I just say they were?" Bow responded, tilting her head slightly. "Hey, why'd you run away, anyways?"

"You wouldn't understand…" Blitz replied, looking away.

"Well, I know I won't understand if you don't tell me," Bow responded.

"... All right, I guess since the secret is already out, I might as well tell you," Blitz replied, and then explained everything about the current situation.

"… Wow, you've had it pretty tough, huh?" Bow asked, as Blitz finished his explanation.

"Yeah…" Blitz responded, nodding his head. "You probably don't understand my feelings on the matter, though…"

"Hmm… Maybe not on _everything_ ," Bow said, before moving a bit closer to Blitz. "But I can sort of relate to the whole "destiny" thing, though."

"Huh?" Blitz responded, looking up at Bow with a surprised look.

"Well, there's the whole town oracle position that has been passed down for generations, and being the only child of my mother, I'll have to become the next town oracle someday," Bow explained. "That is the future that has been decided for me."

"Ah…" Blitz replied, blinking a few times. "So, like me, your future has also been decided by someone else…?"

"Pretty much," Bow responded, shrugging slightly. "I guess we're kind of similar in that aspect, huh?"

"I… guess…" Blitz replied, nodding his head.

"Of course, our situations aren't _exactly_ the same," Bow said, sighing. "Unlike you, I'm okay with my destiny to become the next town oracle, but… I just don't think I'll be any good at it."

"What do you mean?" Blitz asked.

"Well, the oracle is supposed to be all wise and help guide others," Bow responded. "I don't really think someone as forgetful as me would fit the role…"

"Ah, I see…" Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly.

"Still, even with my doubts about whether I'll be a good oracle or not, I kind of just have to accept it as my destiny," Bow said, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah, I guess…" Blitz responded, also glancing up at the sky above them.

The Shinx and the Gothorita just sat there for a while, neither of them saying a word. They just kept looking up at the blue sky, watching as it slowly began gaining a hint of orange as evening approached. While they were both aware that several Pokémon were still looking for them, it didn't seem to bother them much. At this moment they were both feeling a sense of ease being in each other's company, watching the sky together.

"Hey, Blitz?" Bow said, still gazing at the sky.

"What is it?" Blitz asked, also continuing to look up at the sky.

"Why do you think some Pokémon have the ability to see into the future?" Bow responded. "I mean, if the future is already decided, why warn us?"

"That's a good question…" Blitz commented.

"Some Pokémon say to listen to your heart when you don't know what to choose... but can one really trust in ones own heart?" Bow asked, lying down in the grass as she continued to look at the sky. "Or are all of us, even you and I, just part of one big plan?"

"Who knows," Blitz responded, lying down next to Bow. "Some probably say that the only one that can truly decide ones destiny is oneself, but I don't think it works that way…"

"… Blitz, what do you _want_ to do?" Bow asked, glancing over at Blitz.

"What do you mean?" Blitz responded, looking over at Bow curiously.

"If you could change your destiny and do anything you wanted…" Bow said, smiling at the young Shinx. "What would you do?"

"What I want the most…?" Blitz responded, thinking for a moment. "I think… I want the freedom to try many things, until I find something _I_ like and want to do."

"Ooh, I like the sound of that!" Bow replied, giggling a little.

"Bow… Thank you," Blitz said, smiling back at her.

"Huh? What did I do?" Bow asked, looking a bit confused.

"I just… feel a little better, knowing I'm not the only one who has felt this way," Blitz explained.

"Felt about what?" Bow asked, before hitting her hand against her head and giggling a little as she realized. "Oh, _duh_! You mean that destiny thing!"

"Yes, the destiny thing," Blitz responded, chuckling a little.

"Well, I'm glad I could help!" Bow replied, smiling.

As the two sat there smiling at each other, they suddenly heard a familiar voice calling out to them.

"Blitz, there you are!" it was Azure, who walked up along with Frederick. She grinned at Bow as she noticed she was with him. "Bow, you found Blitz? Well done!"

"Uh, thanks!" Bow replied, giggling a little.

"Hey guys," Blitz said, smiling sheepishly at the Marill and Deino.

"Hi!" Frederick replied, grinning. "We were looking for you!"

"And now that we've found you, we should let the others know," Azure said.

"How should we do that?" Bow asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Hmm… Maybe we can signal them with an attack?" Blitz suggested. "That's how Megara let us know that her rescue team had found the entrance to the Sand-Veiled Sanctuary back when we were looking for the crystal in Clarion Desert."

"Ooh, that might work!" Azure responded, grinning and turning to Frederick. "How far up can you make that Dragon Rage of yours go when firing straight up?"

"Um… I don't know," Frederick replied, shaking his head.

"Well, let's try it anyways," Azure said, patting the Deino on the head. "Just lift your head up, aim upwards and give it your best shot!"

"Okay!" Frederick replied, nodding his head.

The young dragon Pokémon raised his head, and fired a purple fire ball into the air in an attempt to signal the other groups. They then decided to wait for a while, and if they thought the other groups hadn't seen the signal, they would have Frederick fire another Dragon Rage.

* * *

After a while, the groups were eventually gathered again, and Blitz could reunite with his friends and sister. While Sera could've used her rescue team badge to teleport everyone home, they instead decided to walk.

"Sorry to worry you all," Blitz said.

"Well, at least you're okay!" Lita responded, smiling at her older brother. "And that's the most important part, right?"

"Right," Blitz replied, nodding and smiling back at his younger sister.

Sera still wasn't entirely sure what to say to Blitz, but listened to her older siblings talk about what they had seen and talked about during their search.

"Flare?" Sera said.

"Yes?" the Flareon replied, looking over at Sera.

"I… I just wanted to thank all of you for coming along for my sake," Sera said, looking up at her older siblings.

"Didn't you already thank us once?" Flare asked, smiling at Sera.

"Well, now you can't say I've never done anything for you," Volt said, winking. "But seriously, it's no problem."

"It was important to you, so as your older sister, how could I refuse?" Sirena said.

"Like I said before, I had nothing better to do today," Yoru commented.

"No, _I_ said that," Volt responded, giving Yoru an annoyed look. " _You_ said something different."

"I can't really think of anything to say that the others haven't already covered," Amethyst said, giggling a little.

Chiaki was happy to see that his teammates seemed to be feeling better, although it still worried him that still seemed to be a bit of an awkward tension between them. He hoped things would get better again soon. He glanced at Elina, still wondering if he'd be able to help his friends more if he had his memories. Then again, even if he did, would he have any memories even remotely similar to what his friends had experienced before?

Perhaps it was best not to dwell on these questions now, and instead try to support his friends to the best of his ability.

Much like Sera, Hercules wasn't entirely sure what to say to Blitz, but was relieved that the Shinx was okay. He looked over at Bow, making sure she was keeping up with the group.

"Hey, Bow?" Hercules said. "From what I understand, you really helped Blitz out today?"

"Oh, I didn't really do all that much," Bow responded, shrugging slightly. "We just talked about some things we had in common."

"Well, it may not have seemed like that much to you, but to me it seems like what happened between you two was something Blitz needed," Hercules said, smiling at Bow. "So, thank you for talking to him."

"Oh, um… You're welcome!" Bow replied, smiling back.

It was starting to get dark as they finally saw Fenix town in the distance. Blitz had been found, but that didn't mean that everything was fine. There were still several things needing to be sorted out, and they knew that very well, even if they didn't know how they would do it.

"We better hurry home," Amethyst said, looking up at the sky. "I did leave a note for our parents before we left, but they might still be concerned about us."

Amethyst and her younger siblings began walking home, although Sera briefly stopped and ran back over to Blitz.

"Blitz, about yesterday… I…" Sera said, but couldn't quite figure out how to phrase things.

"I-It's okay… We can talk about it later," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Sera, are you coming?" Amethyst called out.

"O-Okay," Sera said, nodding her head. "Guess I'd better get going… See you later!"

Sera quickly caught up to her older siblings, and they walked home together.

"Wait, did I remember to tell my mother where I was going…?" Bow wondered, suddenly looking a bit worried after hearing Amethyst talk about having left a note for her parents. "I'd better hurry home too! Bye!"

And with that, the Gothorita ran as fast as she could to get home.

"I'll go with her and make sure she doesn't get sidetracked on the way home," Hercules said, flying after the Gothorita.

"Come on, Frederick, let's head back to the café," Azure said.

"Okay," Frederick responded, nodding his head.

As Frederick and Azure headed off, there was only Blitz, Lita, Chiaki and Elina left.

"Guess it's time for us to head home too," Chiaki said, looking over at Elina. "Bye for now, Elina."

Elina nodded her head slightly, and began turning around to leave, only for Chiaki to suddenly wrap his arms around her and pull her in for a hug.

"I really hope we see each other again soon," Chiaki said, smiling cheerfully. "I enjoy spending time with you, and I think we should do so more often!"

Elina blinked in surprise, but then her expression softened and she returned the hug.

_"Yeah… That would be nice."_

"Huh?" Chiaki said, looking around while Elina gave him a puzzled look. "… Did you also hear a voice just now?"

Elina gave him a confused look.

"You didn't hear anything?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly. "… Maybe it was just my imagination?"

"Chiaki, we should go now," Blitz said. "Lita is getting tired."

"No, I'm not…" Lita replied, before yawning.

"Oh, okay," Chiaki responded, before turning back to Elina. "Well, let's meet again soon!"

And so, Blitz, Lita and Chiaki headed home, as Elina suddenly realized that the voice Chiaki might've been _hers_! Elina wasn't entirely sure how that had happened though, since she until now had failed at projecting her mental voice during her lessons with Kala. As she floated through town looking for a spot to sleep, she continued thinking about it and trying to make sense of how it had suddenly worked.

* * *

Lita had cuddled up to her brother, and seemed quite content. Blitz hadn't fallen asleep yet, and was looking out the window trying to see the stars in the sky. Quietly, he wondered to himself if Bow was watching the stars as well? The stars were what gave both her and Stella their visions of the future, so it wouldn't surprise him.

"Maybe she'll be able to see how things will turn out between Sera, Chiaki and I…?" Blitz wondered, before closing his eyes so he could try to get some sleep.

While it certainly would've been nice to know ahead of time what to say to his friends in order to make things better, it would probably be something he had to figure out himself.

* * *

**End of Chapter 25**


	26. I think he's really sorry about what happened back then.

* * *

Another day had begun in Fenix Town, and things were busy as usual. It was looking to be a somewhat cloudy day, with a chance of rain. Understandably, Megara the Magmar wanted Mirage to hurry up and finish preparations so their rescue team could head out before it could start raining.

"Calm down, we don't even know for sure if it's going to rain today," Mirage said. "For all we know, it might not rain until tomorrow."

"The mushroom wouldn't mind some rain," Cordyceps commented.

"All right, but I still want to get going soon," Megara said, looking around and noticing two Shinx and a Mienfoo walking by. "Oh, hey guys!"

"Hi!" Chiaki replied, waving to the other rescue team.

"Blitz, good to see you," Mirage commented, smiling. "I heard from your teammates that you'd gone missing the day before."

"Yeah," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Well, good to see you made it back okay," Mirage said, before turning back to her teammates. "All right, let's get going!"

"Finally," Megara muttered as the three of them left.

Blitz, Lita and Chiaki also kept walking towards the café, where they were pretty sure that Sera and Azure would be waiting for them. And as they stepped through the door, they spotted the two girls, plus Frederick, sitting and talking at one of the tables.

"Ah, there you are!" Azure said, grinning. "Good morning, guys!"

"Good morning!" Chiaki responded, smiling back.

"Hi Blitz," Sera said, seeming a bit unsure of what to say. "So, um… Did you… sleep well?"

"Uh, yes… Very well," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly and rubbing his forelegs together. "And you?"

"Sort of, I guess," Sera replied, nodding her head with a bit of a nervous smile.

"That's… good," Blitz said, clearing his throat. "So… What's the plan for today?"

"Oh, well… I was sort of thinking that maybe… maybe you should take today off, and spend some time with Lita?" Sera suggested. "You know, since she's only really staying for a few days, I figured it might be nice for the two of you."

"That sounds like a great idea, doesn't it, big brother?" Lita asked, smiling up at her brother.

"Hmm… Well, I certainly would like to spend some quality time with Lita," Blitz said, looking somewhat doubtful. "But Sera, will you be okay without me?"

"I'm sure I can handle it!" Sera replied, nodding her head.

"Are you… sure?" Blitz asked.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Sera responded, doing her best to reassure her teammate. "I've got Chiaki and Azure with me, and Frederick offered to come along as well!"

"Is that so?" Blitz asked, looking over at Frederick.

"Uh-huh," Frederick responded, nodding his head. "Azure convinced me to give it a try!"

"Hmm… Okay, then," Blitz said, giving Sera a small smile. "Just… um… when looking over missions, don't pick anything that looks too difficult…"

"Sure, if that makes it easier for you to relax," Sera responded.

"All right," Blitz replied, before turning to Lita. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Ooh, there's a lot we could do, but I don't know what I want to do the most," Lita said, smiling at her brother. "Of course, as long as I get to spend time with you, it's not that important _what_ game we play."

"So, how about we go for a little walk then while you think about what you want to do?" Blitz suggested.

"Okay!" Lita responded, nodding her head before following Blitz out of the café.

"Have fun, you two!" Sera said, waiting until they were out of earshot before sighing. "I just hope I really _can_ do one mission without Blitz…"

"Don't worry, you've got me, Chiaki and Frederick with you," Azure commented. "I'm sure that we can handle this one together."

"All right…" Sera responded, taking a deep breath. "Well… Let's head up to the HQ and find ourselves a mission."

Sera, Chiaki, Azure and Frederick began heading for the rescue team HQ. Azure noticed that Sera seemed a bit lost in thought, walking slowly and somewhat unsteady.

"Hey, Sera?" Azure said. "Did you give Blitz the day off so you wouldn't have to talk to him about what happened just yet?"

"Huh?" Sera responded, looking over at Azure. "Oh, um… Not really, although I _do_ need some more time to think about what to say to him…"

"All right, just checking," Azure replied, nodding slightly.

"I know I should talk to him soon, but it's not easy figuring out what to say," Sera said.

"Well, he probably hasn't figured out what to say to you either," Azure responded. "Don't worry about it too much."

"I'll try," Sera replied, nodding. "It's kind of difficult not to think about it, though…"

* * *

For once, Amethyst was not doing the various chores to be done alone, as Sirena had offered to help her. Amethyst was surprised Sirena had offered, but was grateful for the extra help as it would likely allow for things to be finished sooner. Still, despite being a psychic type, Amethyst wasn't entirely sure about what had compelled Sirena to help out all of a sudden.

"Hey, why do you keep giving me that confused look?" Sirena asked, having noticed how Amethyst kept glancing over her shoulder at her.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry," Amethyst responded. "I was just wondering why you suddenly decided you wanted to help me with the chores today… I figured you'd have better things to do."

"Well, don't you remember what you said to me when we were out looking for Sera's friend yesterday?" Sirena asked.

Amethyst blinked a few times, trying to remember what the two of them had talked about yesterday…

* * *

Despite her psychic powers, Amethyst wasn't having any better luck than the other groups at tracking down Blitz. Sirena kept enviously looking up at her older sister, Amethyst eventually glancing at Sirena as she noticed the stares her sister was giving her.

"… Is there a problem?" Amethyst asked.

"No," Sirena replied, looking away. "I just wish I had your life, you know? I mean, you're like, the favorite of the family because you're good at like, everything!"

"Well, I suppose my life seems pretty nice," Amethyst responded, sighing. "Of course, being the favorite can be difficult at times… Always having the most responsibility, always having to look good… It can be a burden."

"Is it?" Sirena asked, tilting her head slightly. "You don't _look_ like you have any problem with it."

"I hide it pretty well," Amethyst responded, before suddenly stopping. "Oh, I've said too much…"

"Um… Hey, don't worry about that now," Sirena said, somewhat unsure of what to make of this.

"You're right… We need to focus on finding Sera's friend," Amethyst responded, nodding her head slightly. "Let's keep looking around for any traces of him."

"All right," Sirena replied, nodding and helping Amethyst look for anything that might lead to the missing Shinx.

* * *

"… Ah, that's right…" Amethyst said, blinking a few times as she remembered what she and Sirena had talked about yesterday.

"Well, don't you worry about it, big sis!" Sirena exclaimed, grinning. "You don't have to carry that burden all by yourself!"

"Sirena… I appreciate the thought, but you really don't need to do this," Amethyst said. "I've been able to handle it myself all this time, after all…"

"Hey, it's no problem," Sirena responded, smirking. "I take half the burden from you, and in return I get to take half the credit for the work!"

"But… I…" Amethyst stuttered, unsure of how to handle the situation.

"Well, I intend to help you out whether you want it or not!" Sirena said, grinning. "So, you might as well just accept it!"

Amethyst sighed as Sirena cheerfully continued cleaning up around the living room, feeling rather upset that she had admitted to her weakness after trying to hide it away from her family for so long in order to keep the image they had of her intact. However, Sirena's reaction wasn't quite what Amethyst had expected. In fact, her current behavior was almost the exact opposite of Amethyst's expectations.

With how much Sirena seemed to resent her for being "perfect", Amethyst would've thought this revelation would make things between her and her sister worse, but that wasn't what was happening. In fact, it seemed as if Sirena liked her better now. Amethyst didn't really understand it, but at the same time, it was somewhat of a relief.

"Sirena… Thank you," Amethyst said, smiling to her sister.

"It's no problem," Sirena responded, grinning.

"This is… just between the two of us, right?" Amethyst asked. "There are some things that I need to think about… Until then, don't tell anyone else what we talked about yesterday?"

"If that means you'll let me help so that you don't get all the credit, sure," Sirena responded.

"Okay, I guess that works for me," Amethyst replied, nodding her head slightly.

The two sisters continued doing the work together, not noticing that a certain Flareon had been listening to their conversation, with a small smile on his face.

* * *

Chiaki and Azure were looking over the bulletin board, and were eagerly discussing amongst themselves trying to decide on what mission they would do. Frederick just listened to the two of them, trying to hear if there were any of the missions that sounded good to him.

 _"Gee, I wish I could read those missions too,"_ Frederick thought to himself, while occasionally nodding his head to Chiaki or Azure when they suggested another mission.

Sera wasn't really paying attention, seeming rather lost in thought. It was difficult for her to focus on anything else as the current situation between her and Blitz kept consuming her thoughts. She just had to think of something she could say, some way she could prove to Blitz just how much their friendship meant to her.

"Sera? Hey, Sera!" Azure shouted, shaking Sera. "Snap out of it, will you?"

"Huh? What?" Sera responded, looking over at her teammates. "Oh, I'm sorry. What is it?"

"We can't make up our mind on what mission to take," Azure said, pointing to the board.

"Sera, what do you think?" Chiaki asked, looking at Sera expectantly.

"Oh, um… Let me take a look," Sera said, looking up at the various missions on the board.

There were plenty of missions at their current skill level to choose between, but the letters on the different missions just seemed to blur together as Sera began losing focus again.

 _"I wish Blitz was here,"_ Sera thought to herself, before shaking her head and trying to clear up her clouded mind. _"No! I can do this… I've picked out missions without Blitz's help before, so it's not like I don't know what I'm doing…"_

Sera sighed, and looked closely at the various missions. She could tell just how used she was to Blitz's presence that she caught herself almost wanting to ask him for advice. Instead, she took a deep breath and mentally told herself that she couldn't rely on Blitz all the time.

"So, anything look good to you?" Azure asked.

"Well, um… There are two up there in the corner that are in the same dungeon," Sera said.

"Ah, yes," Azure responded, nodding slightly. "Chiaki, can you reach those?"

"Yep!" Chiaki replied, cheerfully jumping up and grabbing the two missions off the board. He then looked over them. "Let's see… The first one is a request from a Shieldon, asking to find a missing Cranidos, and the other is from a Skitty who apparently got lost after escaping some wild Pokémon."

"So, we've got two rescue missions," Azure said, glancing over at the outlaw board as another rescue team walked away from it. "Should we check the other board too?"

"Huh?" Sera responded, before shaking her head. "No, I think these two rescue missions will be enough for today."

"Okay, then," Azure said, grinning. "Well, if everyone's ready, let's head out!"

The four Pokémon headed over to the room behind the purple curtain, where a certain Abra seemed content with dreaming the day away as usual. Of course, she also had work to do, so she simply had to accept that rescue teams would shake her by the shoulders until she woke up for them.

"All right, tell me where you want to go so I can get back to my dream…" Kala muttered, rubbing her eyes. "I was just about to knock the moon out of the sky with a giant spoon…"

"Let us know how that turns out," Azure responded, before showing Kala the missions and pointing out the location to the sleepy Abra.

"Okay, no problem… Good luck, be careful and all that…" Kala mumbled, before teleporting the four Pokémon out of the room and going back to her nap. "… Yes, I know… I've only got one shot, so if the moon misses its target…"

Kala snickered a little in her sleep as she turned over on her side, mumbling something in a satisfied tone.

* * *

Blitz and Lita were taking a walk, neither of them really saying much. Blitz wasn't really sure what to say, and from the looks of things, Lita wasn't sure what to say either. It looked she _wanted_ to say something, though. Perhaps she was just trying to think of how to say what she wanted to say? Blitz noticed that they were walking right past the dojo, but just looked away from it.

He knew that just like he and Sera would have to properly talk about what had happened, he would also eventually have to talk to Hercules about it. Hercules had broken his promise and revealed Blitz's secret, but had done so out of concern for him… Blitz wasn't really sure what to really make of that. So far, he didn't see how anything _good_ was going to come out of it.

"Hey, Blitz?" Lita said, looking up at her older brother.

"What is it?" Blitz asked, meeting his sister's gaze.

"I, um… Back home, Charge has been asking about you," Lita responded, looking away.

"Huh?" Blitz replied tilting his head slightly.

"He wondered how you've been doing since… that incident," Lita explained. "I think he's really sorry about what happened back then."

"Wait, how would you know that?" Blitz asked, looking rather confused.

"Well… You see, it'd been a while since you left, and I was having trouble finding the courage to approach the other Shinx," Lita said, blushing slightly. "I was just too shy…"

"Um… I see," Blitz responded, still rather confused. "But what does Charge have to do with any of this?"

"I kind of ran into him, and when I told him about my problem, he said the best solution was to find a certain item in a mystery dungeon," Lita explained. "He said it'd build my confidence, and offered to go with me to help me get that item."

"He did?" Blitz asked, surprised at this sudden turn of events. "Why would he do that?"

"I wondered why he'd do that too," Lita responded. "I thought it might be a trick, but he really did help me get that item, and then I thought that maybe he felt sorry for what he did to you, and was trying to make up for it by helping me be more brave?"

"Huh… I thought that Charge would've hated me for what happened back then," Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together.

"While I don't know if I've really gotten any less shy around the other Shinx, I become friends with Charge, surprisingly enough," Lita replied, smiling at her brother.

"That… certainly _is_ surprising," Blitz responded, blinking a few times.

"So, when he heard I was going to be visiting you, he asked me to let him know what you'd been up to and how you were doing over here," Lita explained. "I think the other Shinx miss having you around as well, from what I've heard."

"Oh, um…" Blitz glanced around, before looking down at the ground and rubbing the rings on his forelegs together again. "I guess when you go home, you can tell them that I'm doing okay, and that my training has been going well?"

"Sure, I can do that!" Lita responded, grinning. "Of course, I want to make sure that you really _are_ okay before I leave, though!"

"What do you mean by that?" Blitz asked.

"Since I'm your sister, don't I have to make sure my brother is okay?" Lita responded, tilting her head slightly. "

"Oh, um… You really don't have to worry too much about me," Blitz replied, rubbing his forelegs together.

"You think I should leave all the worrying to you just because you're the older sibling?" Lita asked, shaking her head. "I don't think so."

"I'm sorry…" Blitz responded, looking away. "A lot has happened lately, and I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with it all…"

"Well… How about you forget about that just for a moment?" Lita asked, smiling up at her brother. "Come on, let's play together like we used to! How does hide-and-seek sound?"

"Uh… Sure, sounds like fun," Blitz replied, giving a small smile.

"All right, then!" Lita said, smiling. "Close your eyes and count to twenty-two, while I find a good hiding spot!"

"Okay, sis," Blitz responded, nodding his head and closing his eyes as Lita ran ahead and began looking for a hiding spot. "One, two, three…"

* * *

Sera, Chiaki, Azure and Frederick were slowly making their way through the mystery dungeon, and were getting close to the floor where the Pokémon of the first mission needing rescuing was. While things were going well, Sera couldn't help but feel uneasy. Everything that had happened over the course of the past few days had been rather stressful for her.

She had to push the thought of how to solve things between her and Blitz out of her mind so she could focus on the mission. At least Azure's good sense of hearing and Frederick's good sense of smell allowed them to help alert her to possible dangers.

"I see the stairs!" Chiaki exclaimed, cheerfully pointing to the stairs leading to the next floor.

"Oh, okay," Sera replied, nodding her head slightly. "Let's go, guys."

The four Pokémon moved onto the next floor, and began looking around for the first of the two lost Pokémon in the dungeon. Azure listened closely, while Frederick tried to pick up the missing Pokémon's scent. It didn't take long before they had a lead, and were able to track down and send the lost Pokémon back to Fenix Town.

"All right, just one more to go," Sera said, taking a deep breath. "We can do this…"

Sera felt somewhat reassured by the fact that one Pokémon was now saved, and they just had to find one more. Of course, she still had to stay alert, and focus on the mission. After all, she had experienced before that even if the mission was close to being completed, things could still go wrong on the way there.

It didn't take them too long to reach the floor where the Skitty they had to rescue was, however, they soon noticed something rather odd about this particular floor.

"Hey, Sera? Don't those walls look kind of strange?" Azure asked, glancing around.

"They look… distorted…" Chiaki said, noticing that a few of the walls looked much like water rippling.

"Huh, I guess this floor must've been affected by the distortions," Sera commented, looking around. "Hope the Skitty we must rescue is okay."

"Yeah…" Azure responded, nodding and looking a bit nervous as her ears picked up on something in the distance. "Um… How do you think this might be affecting the wild Pokémon on this floor…?"

Before Sera had the chance to respond, she noticed several shadows flying above them, and glanced up to see several black crow-like Pokémon with features on their head in a top hat-like shape. It didn't take long before eight Murkrow landed in front of the rescue team, staring at Sera and her teammates.

"Those Murkrow… don't look so well…" Chiaki said, feeling rather unnerved by the almost empty look in the wild Murkrow's eyes.

"Maybe we can walk right past them…?" Azure suggested, glancing around. "I mean, even though they're looking right at us, I'm not entirely sure if they actually _know_ we're here?"

"I don't get it, what's going on?" Frederick asked, not really understanding what the others were talking about since he couldn't actually see that there was anything wrong with these Murkrow.

"Um… Let's go, guys…" Sera said, slowly starting to make her way towards one of the other paths. "We need to find that Skitty."

Before Sera could reach the path, one of the Murkrow flew over and blocked it. Sera nervously stared into the Murkrow's eyes for a few moments, before the crow Pokémon suddenly cried out and attempted to peck her. Sera gave a startled yelp as she barely dodged the Murkrow's attack, and as she glanced around she noticed that the other Murkrow were headed for her teammates.

"Sera, we could use some help here!" Azure said, using her tail to swat one of two Murkrow currently trying to nip at her ears aside.

"Oh, right!" Sera responded, nodding her head before using her Helping Hand move to power up her three friends.

"Thanks!" Azure replied, smirking as she knocked the other Murkrow out of the way.

"I could use a little more help here…" Chiaki said, trying his best to use Detect to dodge the attempts of three of the Murkrow to Peck or hit him with a Wing Attack.

"I'll be there in just a second!" Frederick responded, while attempting to hit a Murkrow he was fighting with Dragon Rage, but it continued to dodge his attacks. "Hmm… Or maybe two seconds?"

"Hey, Sera? Don't you have an item or something that can take care of these guys?" Azure asked, trying to fight off the two Murkrow that had gotten back up and were trying to grab her ears again. "Like, an orb, maybe?"

"Oh, right… Good idea," Sera responded, trying to get enough distance between herself and the Murkrow that kept trying to hit her so she could check what items she had. Luckily for Sera, one of Frederick's stray Dragon Rage attacks hit the Murkrow, knocking it down. "Oh, thanks, Frederick!"

"Uh… You're welcome!" Frederick replied, nodding his head. "I… totally meant to do… whatever it was I did!"

Sera quickly looked through her bag, hoping to find something she could use to stop the Murkrow.

"Hmm… Petrify Orb? Nah, I should save that one for a bigger emergency…" Sera muttered to herself while examining an orb before putting it back into the bag. "I know one of these other orbs should work, though… Ah, maybe this will do!"

Sera smirked as she pulled out an orb, and tossed it on the ground. Upon activating, the orb sent out a wave of sound that made the Murkrow stumble around dizzily, while Sera and her teammates were unaffected.

"All right, it worked!" Sera said, happily wagging her tail.

"Well done, Sera!" Azure responded, nodding her head slightly. "Now let's get moving before the effects of the Totter Orb wears off!"

And so, the four Pokémon quickly exited the room, and kept moving, only to run into even more wild Pokémon in the next room they entered.

"Oh, no…" Sera muttered, as she glanced at the wild Pokémon.

"Hey, I think I can smell the Skitty…" Frederick said, sniffing the ground. "Yeah, I think he or she is in here somewhere…"

"Well, in that case… I guess you should go find them while the rest of us deal with the wilds?" Sera suggested, sounding uncertain about whether she thought it was the best course of action or not.

Frederick began moving forward, sniffing the ground to find out where the scent trail would lead, with Azure walking next to him on one side, and Chiaki on the other, with Sera following shortly behind them. As wild Pokémon began moving closer, Sera used her Helping Hand to power up her teammates, while Azure used her Bubble Beam attack to hit opponents from afar to keep them from getting closer and Chiaki did the same using his Swift attack.

"Just a little further…" Sera muttered, only to feel something snag onto her tail. "Ah, let go!"

A Pokémon appearing to be a spherical mass of blue vines had grabbed onto Sera's tail by extending two of its vines, and was attempting to pull her back. There was a pink Pokémon with flower-shaped spots on its body floating next to the Tangela, its small oval eyes having a multicolored glow as it charged up a psychic attack.

"We're coming, Sera!" Azure shouted, glancing over at Frederick. "You find the Skitty while Chiaki and I help Sera!"

"You're talking to me, right?" Frederick asked, tilting his head slightly. "Wait, of course she's talking to me. I mean, she mentioned herself and the other two guys, so by process of elimination, I'm the only one she _could_ be…"

"H-Hello?" a soft female voice called out. "I-I'm over here…"

"Oh, right!" Frederick said, making his way over to the source of the sound, a tree with a small opening in it that the pink kitten Pokémon had crawled inside.

"You came to rescue me, didn't you?" the Skitty asked, peeking out from her hiding spot.

"Yeah, sort of," Frederick replied, nodding his head. "My friends will be here in just a moment to do the teleport thing with the badge!"

Chiaki moved to dodge multicolored beams of psychic energy fired from the Munna's eyes, before Azure eventually managed to hit the floating psychic type with a Bubble beam attack. While the Munna took a moment to recover from the attack, Chiaki took the opportunity to run up to the Tangela, and managed to successfully catch it off-guard with a Fake Out attack while the grass type was distracted trying to drain Sera's energy.

The Tangela flinched from Chiaki's attack, and let go of Sera.

"Whew… Thanks, Chiaki…" Sera said, stumbling a bit. "That Tangela drained some of my strength, but I think I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Chiaki asked.

"Yeah," Sera responded, nodding her head slightly. "Let's just finish this and get out of here, already."

Sera then quickly tackled the Tangela before it could grab her again, sending it stumbling back. Chiaki was quick to follow up with a Swift attack, knocking out the Tangela around the same time as Azure managed to finish off the Munna by hitting it with her tail.

"That was fun!" Azure said, smiling. "Wouldn't mind fighting a few more, actually!"

"Uh… I think we've had enough battles for one day," Sera responded, sighing and letting her ears droop down slightly.

"Guys, I found the Skitty!" Frederick said, cheerfully walking back over to his friends with the pink kitten Pokémon following him.

"Thank you for coming all the way here to rescue me!" the Skitty said. "All of a sudden, the wild Pokémon here started acting really weird, and I had to get away, but I couldn't find the way out. So, I had to send out a request for help, and find a place to hide."

"Well, let's get out of here before any other wild Pokémon show up, then," Sera responded, seeming tired, but also relieved that the mission was over.

And so, all five Pokémon disappeared from the dungeon in a flash of golden light.

* * *

After picking up their rewards at the HQ, Sera and the others met up with Blitz and Lita, and went to the café to talk about the events of the day. Blitz watched as Sera quickly drank up a glass of berry juice, before giving a content sigh with her ears drooping down slightly.

"Whew, I needed that…" Sera said.

"You don't usually get as worn out as this after a mission," Blitz commented looking somewhat concerned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Sera responded, nodding her head slightly. "Just… those wild Pokémon kind of caught us off guard…"

"I see…" Blitz replied, rubbing his forelegs together. "Guess that's something one couldn't really have predicted… As the distortions keep spreading, I guess it'll only get harder to predict what might happen…"

"Hey, let's talk about something else," Sera said, with a small smile. "How was your day off?"

"Oh, yeah… It was nice," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "Lita and I talked about some stuff, and then we played hide-and-seek."

"Yeah, and Blitz kept finding me pretty quickly," Lita said, giggling a little. "He's always been good at that game."

"Glad to hear you had fun," Sera commented, smiling.

"So, Frederick, did you enjoy going on a mission with us?" Azure asked, nudging her Deino friend.

"Yeah, it was pretty exciting, getting to go on a mission with everyone," Frederick responded.

"I know, right?" Azure replied, grinning. "You should totally join the rescue team too!"

"Helping that Skitty _did_ feel nice…" Frederick commented, thinking for a moment. "All that walking made me hungry, though…"

"Oh, but doesn't food taste better after a day of adventuring?" Azure asked.

"Um… Maybe," Frederick responded, shrugging slightly.

Chiaki was glad to see that Blitz seemed to be in a better mood now after his day off, which he had probably needed. Still, Blitz and Sera hadn't yet sorted everything out between themselves, so things weren't quite back to normal for the rescue team just yet. At least they were talking, and seemed to be getting along well enough.

 _"I hope they're able to talk things out soon,"_ Chiaki thought, with a small smile as he looked at his teammates.

Eventually, the six Pokémon had to head home for the night, and they managed to get to their homes before it started raining. Sera was greeted by Flare upon returning home, but she barely had anything to say. She just went straight to bed, and fell asleep.

"Today's mission must've been a tough one," Flare whispered to himself, smiling as he walked up to Sera and gently petted her on the head with his paw. "Sleep well, sis."

* * *

**End of Chapter 26**


	27. If only I hadn't broken my promise, none of this would've happened...

* * *

At some point during the night, it had started raining. The sound of many raindrops falling from the sky and splashing against the ground, rooftops and plants ended up waking up Hercules, despite the fact that he was not normally a light sleeper. Looking out the window at the pouring rain, the sleepy Heracross could tell that the weather probably wouldn't clear up until tomorrow morning. Or maybe tomorrow afternoon, he wasn't sure.

While there was no sign of thunder or lightning, the way it was pouring down outside reminded him of the dark and stormy night three weeks ago…

* * *

Hercules hadn't quite expected the weather that night to be quite as bad, but luckily he had managed to make the necessary preparations by covering up all the windows and the front door so the rain wouldn't be blown right into his house. He'd been sleeping for a while already, when there suddenly was a sound at the front door that he had to investigate. Removing the cover slightly, he discovered that a certain Shinx was sitting outside with a frown on his face.

"Blitz, what are you doing here!?" Hercules asked, quickly removing the cover for a moment so the young Shinx could quickly make his way inside. "Why would you come all the way here on a night like this? Is something wrong?"

"I… I'm sorry…" Blitz said, shaking the water out of his fur. "I… I had a nightmare…"

"Ah, I see…" Hercules responded, petting Blitz on the head.

The two Pokémon headed into Hercules' kitchen, where the Heracross began preparing some tea for the two of them.

"Was it another dream about things back at Lightning Plateau?" Hercules asked, glancing over at Blitz while the water for the tea began to boil.

"Yeah…" Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

"I see," Hercules replied, looking through a cabinet filled with jars of honey.

"I'll have to go back someday, but… I'd rather not…" Blitz said, sighing. "I don't want to deal with everyone's expectations…"

"I understand," Hercules responded, nodding his head slightly while looking through another cabinet filled with nothing but jars of honey. "I wish there was something I could do to help you with that…"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together. "I mean, you've already done a lot for me since I got here, and… well, it's not like you can change my destiny…"

"I'm not really sure if I'd call it destiny…" Hercules replied, finally finding the tea leaves he was looking for. "But, enough about that… How are things with you and Sera? I hear you two formed a rescue team a few days ago?"

"Well, yeah…" Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "She'd been asking me for a while to form a team with her, and I finally agreed to do it…"

"I see," Hercules replied, placing two teacups on the table and pouring in the tea. "Sera does seem like the kind of Pokémon that doesn't give up once she sets her mind to something."

"She certainly is," Blitz responded. "But at least she doesn't ask me to tell her more about where I'm from, or why I moved here and stuff like that…"

"Really?" Hercules inquired, getting a jar of honey out from one of the cabinets. "Isn't she interested in getting to know you better?"

"Oh, I prefer it this way," Blitz explained, blowing on his tea. "I don't want anyone in this town aside from you to know. That way, I can get to be just a normal Shinx… at least for a while…"

"Blitz, I think I've told you this before, but I don't really think you need to worry about what the Pokémon of Fenix Town would think of you if they knew the truth," Hercules said, beginning to pour the contents of the honey jar into his tea.

"I'm not taking any chances," Blitz replied, shaking his head.

"Well, you don't have to tell her yet if you're don't want to," Hercules said. "So, how is the rescue team business going, anyways?"

"Okay, I guess," Blitz responded, giving Hercules an odd look. "Um… Aren't you putting a bit too much honey in your tea?"

"What do you mean?" Hercules asked as he scraped out the rest of the honey from the bottom of the jar with a spoon.

"Oh, never mind," Blitz replied, looking down at his own cup of tea. "Anyways, as I was saying… Sera and I only formed our rescue a little over a week ago, so I don't really know how good a rescue team we are yet…"

"But I'm guessing your missions so far have been successful?" Hercules asked.

"Well, yeah," Blitz responded, nodding his head.

"I thought so," Hercules replied, smiling. "You're a fast learner, and I have no doubt that you can put your skills to good use when you and Sera explore mystery dungeons."

"Thanks," Blitz responded, taking a sip of his tea. "Again, sorry about coming here this late just for this…"

"It's okay," Hercules said. "Are you feeling better now?"

"I… guess so…" Blitz responded, drinking up the rest of his tea. "So, I guess I should be heading home now…"

"Are you sure?" Hercules asked, looking a bit concerned. "You can stay over for the night, if you want."

"No, it's okay…" Blitz replied, starting to walk towards the door. "This kind of weather doesn't really bother me all that much."

"Well, if you say so…" Hercules responded, nodding his head slightly and opening the door for Blitz. "Good night, Blitz."

"Good night," Blitz replied, before heading outside.

* * *

Hercules sighed as he looked out at the rain, thinking about Blitz and wondering how the young Shinx was feeling now. He knew that Blitz hadn't taken it well when he found out that Sera and Chiaki had learned the truth about why he came to Fenix Town. Hercules felt awful about breaking his promise not to tell anyone, while he also believed that it couldn't stay a secret forever.

Still, he had wanted Blitz to trust his friends enough to tell them himself. All Hercules could do now was hope that things would work out, and that Blitz would be okay.

"I have to talk to him soon…" Hercules muttered to himself, sighing. "Will he want to talk to me, though?"

Hercules was the only Pokémon in Fenix Town that Blitz had fully trusted with everything. Hercules knew that, and yet he'd still betrayed that trust by telling Sera and Chiaki about the events that led to Blitz coming to town to train at the dojo. He only hoped that he'd be able to regain that trust, and that this wouldn't have any lasting negative effects on Blitz's trust in anyone else…

* * *

Eventually, it stopped raining and a new day began. Even if he was tired, and felt like he'd barely gotten any sleep, Hercules had to get up and head over to the dojo. The ground was still wet from the rain, but while fire types might not enjoy walking on it in this state, Hercules thought it looked kind of pretty when parts of it glistened in the light of the sun.

"Hey, Hercules!" a female voice called out, and Hercules turned to see a certain Ledian already having finished setting things up for today's work.

"Oh, good morning, Marietta," Hercules said, giving a friendly smile. "I see you've already set everything up."

"Well, you know me," Marietta responded, smiling back. "I always get up early, and I'm always ready to assist rescue teams with keeping their money safe!"

"That's good to hear," Hercules replied, nodding his head. "Keep up the good work."

"You know I will!" Marietta responded, grinning.

Hercules smiled, and continued heading for the dojo, before Marietta suddenly called out to him again.

"Hercules, wait!" Marietta said, waving to him.

"What is it?" Hercules asked, tilting his head slightly.

"I was just wondering if you might be… I mean, if you're free tonight, after work, I was thinking... that maybe the two of us could head over to the café for some refreshments or something?" Marietta asked, smiling. "You've seemed kind of stressed lately, so I was just thinking it might help to get out and spend some time with a friend, and just, relax, you know?"

"Oh?" Hercules replied, thinking about it for a moment. "… Yeah, I suppose that might help… Okay, I'll meet you at the café after sunset, then."

"All right, I'll see you then!" Marietta responded, waving good-bye to Hercules.

She continued watching him flying off in direction of the dojo, until he was out of sight. Once she was certain he couldn't see or hear her, Marietta did a fist pump with her upper left hand and grinned. "Yes!"

* * *

Hercules tried not to think too much about it while at work, but found himself occasionally glancing over at the entrance to the dojo. Part of him probably hoped a certain Shinx would show up, but he knew he probably shouldn't expect it considering the current circumstances. Other than that, things were as usual at the dojo. The other Pokémon working at the dojo assisted the rescue teams who came in to train.

Lotus and Riley were currently having a sparring match as part of a demonstration on the importance of being able to predict your opponent's moves in battle. So far, they appeared to be evenly matched.

One of the Hoothoot was keeping its eyes on one of the obstacle courses, and keeping track of the time it took for each of the Pokémon on the rescue teams going through it to reach the end. A Makuhita was taking notes as the Hoothoot told him the time.

 _"Everyone seems to be doing their jobs well,"_ Hercules thought to himself. _"Maybe I could step out for a bit, and try to talk to Blitz…"_ Hercules considered it for a moment, before shaking his head. _"No… At this point, he and his teammates have likely already headed out to their next mission…"_

Hercules decided to just keep focusing on his work, and not think too much about it for now.

* * *

After a while, Hercules did notice a familiar Shinx enter the dojo. He quickly noticed that it wasn't Blitz, though, but rather Blitz's younger sister Lita. Hercules smiled and went over to greet the young Shinx.

"Hey there," Hercules said. "What's going on?"

"Well, my brother and his friends are out on a mission, so I decided to come here!" Lita replied, smiling.

"I see," Hercules responded, nodding slightly. "But, isn't someone else supposed to be looking after you?"

"Frederick was supposed to, but then something came up, and I asked him if it was okay if I went here while he sorted it out," Lita explained.

"Ah, okay," Hercules said, petting Lita on the head. "So, how is Blitz?"

"I guess he's feeling a little better," Lita responded, thinking for a moment. "I don't think he and Sera have sorted out their issues yet, though."

"I'm guessing they still don't know what to say to each other on the subject?" Hercules asked.

"Probably," Lita replied, nodding her head. "Chiaki and Azure aren't really helping that much either, since whenever they try to approach the subject, Sera or Blitz just changes the subject…"

"Hopefully, Sera and Blitz can figure out how to sort things out on their own…" Hercules said, sighing. "If only I hadn't broken my promise, none of this would've happened…"

"Oh, don't feel bad," Lita said, looking up at Hercules. "I'm sure everything will be sorted out."

"Yeah, but… I'm worried Blitz won't want to talk to me again," Hercules responded, looking away. "I'm the only Pokémon in this town that Blitz fully trusted with any of his concerns, and yet I ended up betraying him by telling his secret to Sera and Chiaki…"

"… You _did_ make a big mistake," Lita replied, nodding slightly.

Hercules just remained silent for a while.

"… I'm sure Blitz will forgive you," Lita said, after thinking for a few moments.

"How do you know that?" Hercules asked, looking at Lita.

"Well… You want to make things right again, don't you?" Lita responded, smiling at him.

"Of course I do," Hercules replied, nodding his head. "I just don't know if Blitz will listen to me anymore…"

"I don't think Blitz really _is_ mad at you, to be honest," Lita said. "I'm not really sure how feels, though… Then again, he might not even know it himself…"

"So, in other words, you think he has mixed feelings about this?" Hercules asked.

"I guess so?" Lita replied, tilting her head slightly.

"… You know what? You're right," Hercules said, giving a small smile. "I need to show Blitz that I'm still here for him, and maybe I'll be able to help him figure out how to sort things out with Sera."

"Yay!" Lita responded, grinning.

"I just need a chance to talk to him," Hercules said, thinking for a few moments.

"No problem!" Lita said, smirking. "I'll just stay here, and then he'll _have_ to come here to pick me up later!"

Hercules chuckled and petted Lita on the head again.

"You're really clever," Hercules commented, smiling at Lita. "Just like your big brother."

"You really think so?" Lita asked, looking really excited. "Thanks!"

Lita cheerfully followed Hercules around as he went back to work, and now all they had to do was to wait.

* * *

After a few hours, when things were beginning to quiet down in the dojo as rescue teams were beginning to head home, Blitz entered the dojo to look for his younger sister. After getting back from their mission, Blitz and the others had met up with Frederick, who explained that Lita was over at the dojo. He soon spotted the younger Shinx, who happily walked up to her brother.

"There you are, Lita," Blitz said, sighing.

"Was today's mission a difficult one?" Lita asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Kind of," Blitz responded. "Had to catch this outlaw…"

"Was he difficult to beat?" Lita asked.

"Well, no, he wasn't all that strong, actually," Blitz responded. "However, he was really fast, and it took us a while to catch up to him… We did manage to keep him from reaching the stairs, and eventually managed to get him in a corner…"

"I'm assuming you used your hunting knowledge to corner him?" Hercules asked, stepping forward.

"Um… Yeah…" Blitz responded, glancing down at the floor and rubbing his forelegs together. "How'd you know?"

"Because I've gotten to know you pretty well during your time here so far," Hercules replied.

"Oh, right…" Blitz responded, still not looking directly at Hercules.

"I'm going to go wait outside while you talk!" Lita said, before cheerfully walking outside.

Hercules and Blitz were quiet for a few moments, before Hercules finally spoke up.

"Blitz, I'm really sorry I broke my promise not to tell anyone," Hercules said, sighing. "I wanted you to tell Sera and Chiaki yourself when you were ready, and I was hoping I could help you with that…"

"I know…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "You kept encouraging me to tell her, but I kept thinking it was a bad idea… I thought she would think of me differently if she knew who I really was…"

"Does she?" Hercules asked.

"… I have no idea," Blitz replied, shaking his head slightly. "I don't really know what to think anymore… Maybe you were right all along…"

"Huh?" Hercules responded, surprised to hear this.

"I mean, after the conversation I had with Bow…" Blitz said, thinking for a few moments. "I never realized that… she and I felt so similarly about things…"

"She understood how you felt about your situation, and could relate to it," Hercules commented, smiling.

"Hercules… I won't forgive you for telling Sera and Chiaki the truth about me just yet," Blitz said, looking up at the Heracross. "But… I _need_ you…"

Much to Hercules' surprise, Blitz suddenly ran up and hugged him.

"Blitz…" Hercules said, smiling and gently petting him on the head. "I'm still here for you, anytime. Whenever you want to train, or you need advice, I'll do my best to help you."

"Thank you…" Blitz replied, giving a small smile. "Well… I guess I should get going now."

"Good-bye for now, then," Hercules said, nodding his head slightly.

Blitz then headed outside, briefly glancing back over his shoulder before disappearing out the door. With a sigh of relief, Hercules went to finish what little work was left before he was done for the day.

* * *

Marietta was humming to herself while waiting outside the café for a certain Heracross to show up. She occasionally glanced around, and seemed quite pleased once she finally spotted Hercules flying over to the café.

"Ah, there you are!" Marietta said, grinning.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting," Hercules responded, smiling at the Ledian.

"Ooh, you seem to be in a good mood," Marietta commented, as the two of them headed into the café. "Good day at work?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Hercules replied. "And how was your day?"

"Pretty good," Marietta responded, taking a seat. "Of course, I guess my work isn't as interesting as yours."

"Maybe not, but I'd say your job is probably more important than mine," Hercules said, smiling at Marietta.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Marietta responded. "I mean, sure, keeping money safe for rescue teams is important, but I'd say the way you help Pokémon train is important too."

"Well, of course," Hercules replied, nodding his head slightly.

"So, how'd you end up in charge of the dojo, anyways?" Marietta asked.

"Oh, well, it's kind of a long story," Hercules responded. "But if you're interested, I'll gladly tell you."

"Sounds good to me," Marietta replied, nodding her head slightly. "Let me just go order us some drinks first. You like your berry juice sweet, am I right?"

"Yeah, that's right," Hercules responded, nodding his head.

"All right, I'll be back in just a moment!" Marietta replied, cheerfully flying up to the counter to order the drinks.

Hercules smiled as he watched the Ledian talk with River, and thought to himself about how he hoped Blitz would be able to sort things out with his teammates soon. Things were starting to seem like they were only going to get better from here… but then again, perhaps it was a bit too soon to be thinking that way.

* * *

**End of Chapter 27**


	28. Have you been doing anything suspicious lately?

* * *

Blitz, Chiaki and Lita were sleeping soundly as the morning sun slowly spread its light across the area… that is, until they were suddenly woken up by the sound of Santos the Delibird's terrified screams. Blitz got up, and looked outside just in time to see Santos running past his house in a panic. Blitz however, remained perfectly calm, since he had a fairly good idea of what was going on.

"Lita, I think mom is here to pick you up," Blitz said, looking over at his younger sister.

"Aw, I have to go home already?" Lita asked, pouting. "I want to spend more time with you, big brother!"

"I know, I wish we could spend more time together too," Blitz responded, nuzzling Lita. "I promise I'll try to write to you more often, though."

"Okay…" Lita replied, sighing. "It's not the same, though…"

"Hello!" Leandra said, as she suddenly showed up at the front door, smiling widely.

"Hey, mom," Blitz replied, waving a paw slightly.

"Oh, um… Hi, Blitz's mom," Chiaki said, timidly waving a paw while trying not to look directly at the many sharp teeth exposed by the Luxray's smile.

"So, how has my little princess been?" Leandra asked, walking up to Lita. "Did you enjoy spending these past few days visiting your brother?"

"Yeah, it was a lot of fun!" Lita responded, nodding her head.

"Good to hear," Leandra replied, before turning to Blitz. "What about you, my little prince?"

"Oh, um… It's certainly been nice having Lita over," Blitz said, glancing around as he rubbed his forelegs together. "Other than that, I guess the past few days have been rather uneventful."

"What are you talking about?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly. "Our rescue team reached Silver rank, remember?"

"Ooh, Silver rank? Congratulations!" Leandra commented, patting Blitz on the head.

"Uh… Thanks," Blitz responded, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Well, I should get going now," Leandra said, grinning. "So, you and your friends keep up the good work!"

"Yeah, we will," Blitz replied, nodding his head. "Bye for now, mom. Bye for now, Lita."

"Bye, Blitz!" Lita said, waving her paw. "Don't forget to write soon!"

"Okay, let's head home, Lita!" Leandra said.

The Luxray and her daughter began heading off, and soon had disappeared from sight.

"Well, I guess we should be going somewhere too," Blitz said, looking over at Chiaki. "Sera and Azure may already be waiting for us in the town plaza."

Chiaki nodded his head, and followed Blitz into the main part of the town.

* * *

After meeting up with Sera and Azure, the four of them headed for the rescue team HQ to look for some missions. However, when they got into the main room of the HQ, they noticed Mirage's rescue team discussing something. Wondering what was going on, they decided to go investigate.

"The mushroom says no," Cordyceps said, looking up at Megara with his blank white eyes.

"But guys, this is the perfect chance for you two to get to see where I'm from!" Megara protested. "I could introduce you two to my old friends!"

"My apologies, but the mushroom's answer is still no, and as usual, I have to take the mushroom's side," Cordyceps responded. "As you know, we don't particularly like fire, strong heat and similar things of that nature."

"While I don't have the same weakness to fire as Cordyceps does, I'm with him on this one," Mirage said, sighing. "It's not that I don't want to help, but… well, it's a volcano!"

"Oh, come on!" Megara said, looking somewhat annoyed. "Would you be saying the same thing if there was money to earn on this mission?"

"What are you implying?" Mirage asked, crossing her arms.

"Um… What is going on over here?" Azure asked, walking up to the three. "What are you guys arguing about?"

"We talked to Stella this morning, and apparently one of the Axis Tower crystals is hidden somewhere within Mt. Caldera," Mirage explained. "And since that is where Megara is from, she wants the three of us to go retrieve it, but…"

"The mushroom doesn't want to go because our species and fire go together about as well as a Magcargo and the ocean," Cordyceps added.

"You guys don't know what you're missing out on!" Megara protested.

"I'm really sorry, Meg," Mirage said, shaking her head. "But I think it's better if Cordy and I take care of another mission while you go handle this. After all, you know your way around the volcano, so I'm sure you can handle this just fine without our help!"

"Okay, fine," Megara responded, sighing. "I would've liked to introduce you two to some of my friends back home, though…"

"Maybe you can ask them to come visit you here sometime?" Mirage suggested, giving a comforting smile. "Anyways, I guess Cordy and I should go find ourselves a mission, so good luck with finding the crystal!"

"Thanks," Megara responded, nodding her head slightly. "Good luck to you too."

As Mirage and Cordyceps went to look at the mission boards, Megara turned to Sera and her teammates.

"So… You guys have helped retrieve some of the crystals already, right?" Megara asked.

"Uh… Yeah," Sera responded, nodding her head.

"Well, maybe you guys would like to come with me, then?" Megara asked, glancing over at her teammates. "I figure that since Mirage and Cordy didn't want to come, I might as well invite someone else."

"Oh, um… Kind of sudden, but… sure, we'll come along," Sera said, nodding her head slightly.

"Wait, what?" Blitz responded, looking over at Sera. "How are we supposed to explore a volcano without our ears burning off, or something?"

"I think Couture might have something that'll protect you from the heat," Megara said, pointing to the green curtain.

"Well, let's go get that item from Couture, then!" Azure said, grinning. "My water moves will take care of any wild fire Pokémon that think they can mess with us!"

"Uh… Okay," Sera responded, nodding her head slightly. "Come on, guys."

And so, they headed through the green curtain, where the Leavanny was in the process of making a scarf.

"Oh, it's you!" Couture said, smiling as Sera and her teammates came in. "Were you pleased with the Deep Sea Charms I made for you?"

"Yeah, they worked really well!" Chiaki responded, grinning.

"That's good to hear!" Couture replied, still smiling. "So, what may I help you with this time?"

"Well, Megara invited us along on a mission to Mt. Caldera," Azure explained. "So, we're going to need something to protect ourselves from the heat."

"Ah, I have just the thing!" Couture said, looking through a box and pulling out four silver-colored headbands from it. "Here, try these on!"

"Um… How exactly do these help?" Blitz asked, while trying on his.

"They're made with a special fabric infused with a type of magic that makes it so a Pokémon can explore even extremely warm areas and barely feel the heat!" Couture explained, smiling as the rescue team put the headbands on. "They won't protect you from direct fire attacks, nor do they protect from lava."

"Cool," Azure commented, nodding slightly.

"Thanks, Couture!" Chiaki said, grinning.

"You're welcome!" Couture responded, smiling back and waving as the four Pokémon left her room. "When you need anything else, just let me know!"

The four Pokémon quickly met up with Megara, and headed into Kala's room. The Abra was asleep, but that didn't come as a surprise to anyone.

"Hey, wake up!" Megara said, shaking Kala's shoulder.

"Not now, I'm tired…" Kala muttered in her sleep. "I'll teach you more about telepathy later, okay…"

"Kala, wake up! We need you to send us over to Mt. Caldera!" Megara said, continuing to shake the Abra's shoulder.

Kala slowly sat up and opened her eyes, sleepily looking at the five Pokémon before yawning.

"Oh, I thought you were someone else…" Kala said, rubbing her eyes. "Okay, teleporting… Sure… I'll do that…"

Using her power, the five Pokémon disappeared in a flash of light as Kala's power sent them to their desired destination. With her job done for now, Kala plopped back down onto her pillow, and went back to sleep.

* * *

Megara grinned as best as a Pokémon with a beak could, as she looked around at the familiar surroundings of the place where she grew up. While there was not much other than rock and magma to see, the way some of the rocks were shaped and the different elevations still made it an impressive sight.

"Whoa…" Sera said, looking around. "This place is really big, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Megara responded, nodding her head.

"Hmm… Probably won't be easy to find that crystal, then," Blitz commented, rubbing his forelegs together. "Not to mention that a lot of these areas can probably only be reached by fire type Pokémon…"

"Don't worry," Megara said, grinning. "Just leave those areas to me!"

"So, where should we go?" Chiaki asked, looking around.

"I'll lead the way," Megara responded, motioning for the rescue team to follow her. "Come on, let's go!"

Sera and her teammates followed Megara, seeing as she was the one who knew her way around this place. They occasionally passed by a few fire type Pokémon that Megara greeted as they looked around, and soon they come across a red bipedal clawed lizard and a monkey with orange fur as well as a blue and red pattern of fur on his face that made it look like he was wearing a mask. Both Pokémon's tails had a flame burning at the tip of it, similar to Megara's own tail.

Megara seemed to recognize this Charmeleon and Monferno, and excitedly ran over to them.

"Drake! Inferno! Long time no see!" Megara shouted, getting their attention.

"Megara?" Drake the Charmeleon said, seeming surprised to see the Magmar.

"That's right!" Megara responded, grinning. "Sorry to show up unannounced like this, but I'm sort of on a special mission!"

"Hey, that's fine," Inferno the Monferno said, smiling at Megara. "I certainly don't mind surprise visits, especially not from our old pal Megara!"

"Oh, I've missed hanging out with you guys so much!" Megara said.

"We've missed you too, Megara," Drake responded, smiling at the Magmar.

"Yeah, things are more fun when all three of us are together," Inferno commented, smirking as he looked up at Megara. "By the way, Megara… You look _hot._ "

Drake gave a slight groan, while Megara just chuckled.

"How long have you been waiting to use _that_ one?" Drake asked, shaking his head.

"Oh, come on, look at her!" Inferno said, grinning. "I can tell she's just _burning_ with passion for her rescue team work! Isn't that right, Megara?"

"You haven't changed one bit," Megara responded, chuckling.

"He certainly hasn't," Drake commented, rolling his eyes. "So, anyways… What is this mission you mentioned?"

"Well, it turns out one of the Axis Tower crystals may be hidden somewhere in Mt. Caldera, so I came to investigate," Megara explained.

"Whoa, one of the Axis Tower crystals is here?" Inferno asked, staring wide-eyed at Megara.

"Yeah, apparently," Megara responded, shrugging slightly. "I tried to convince my teammates to come along, but they weren't too fond of places as warm as this…"

"So, who are they, then?" Drake asked, pointing to Sera and her teammates, who had been watching the conversation.

"Oh, they're another rescue team I invited along," Megara responded. "They've been doing a pretty good job helping track down the other crystals so far, so I figured they could help us out."

"Uh… Hi!" Sera said, waving a paw. "I'm Sera, the leader of this rescue team. And these are my teammates, Blitz, Chiaki and Azure."

"Ooh, nice to meet you all!" Inferno said, grinning.

"It's nice to meet you too!" Chiaki responded, smiling.

"So, I'm guessing neither of you have heard anything about this crystal?" Megara asked.

"No, we have not," Drake responded, thinking for a moment. "We should probably let Aidan know about this."

"Yeah, definitely," Megara replied, nodding her head. "Do you guys know where he is right now?"

"This way," Drake said, pointing to a nearby tunnel.

The seven Pokémon began heading through the large tunnel, even if Sera and her teammates were a bit lost as to what was going on.

"So, who is this Aidan?" Azure asked.

"Oh, he's an Arcanine who is kind of in charge around here," Megara explained. "He and a Blaziken named Blaze look after things, making sure all the Pokémon here are happy and things like that."

"Huh, so those Pokémon are sort of like… a pride leader?" Blitz asked, looking down at the ground.

"Something like that, yeah," Megara responded, shrugging slightly.

"Blaze has been acting kind of strangely lately, though…" Drake commented.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Megara asked, looking over at the Charmeleon.

"Well, it's… kind of difficult to explain," Drake responded, thinking for a moment. "He doesn't seem to listen to anyone's concerns these days… and it seems like… I don't know… like he has something on his mind, but whenever someone tries asking him about it, he refuses to answer…"

"Also, the other day, I saw him sneaking around near one of the tunnels," Inferno added, tilting his head slightly. "I tried following him, but I lost sight of him before I could find out where he was going…"

"That _is_ really strange…" Megara responded, looking rather confused.

"Sounds awfully suspicious to me," Azure commented. "I bet he's hiding something."

The seven Pokémon soon reached another section of the area, where a large dog with orange fur with black stripes was talking to some other fire type Pokémon. Once the other fire types had left, he noticed Megara and the others and turned his attention to them.

"Ah, Megara, it's been a while since I've seen you around," Aidan said, giving the Magmar a friendly smile. "So, how have things been for you since you went to Fenix Town? I've heard that you joined a rescue team?"

"That's right!" Megara responded, nodding her head. "I've been doing pretty well, with a lot of successful missions and stuff!"

"Good to hear," Aidan replied, before his expression changed to a slightly concerned one. "I get the feeling that you didn't just come here to visit, though. Is something the matter?"

"Your intuition is pretty much correct there," Megara responded. "Turns out one of the crystals that went missing from Axis Tower might be hidden somewhere inside of Mt. Caldera."

"Is that so?" Aidan asked, stopping to think for a moment. "This is the first I've heard about this… If this is true, we must find that crystal as soon as possible."

"You'll help us find it, then?" Megara asked.

"I'll do what I can," Aidan responded, nodding his head.

"So, um… Have you noticed anything unusual in the past few weeks?" Blitz asked, rubbing his forelegs together as he looked up at the larger Pokémon. "Like, any strange things happening with the volcano…?"

"No, I don't think so," Aidan responded, shaking his head. "As far as I can tell, nothing is wrong with the volcano…"

"Ah…" Blitz replied.

"Are you absolutely sure about that?" Sera asked.

Aidan was about to say something, when a bipedal Pokémon with red feathers covering most of his body walked over. The Pokémon also had gray talon-like hands with three fingers, beige hair-like feathers behind its head and its mouth looked similar to a beak. The Blaziken didn't seem to pay much attention to the Pokémon present as he walked over.

"Oh, there you are, Blaze," Aidan said, looking over at the Blaziken. "Have you seen anything unusual around here lately?"

"… No, nothing unusual at all," Blaze responded, his voice sounding oddly flat. Megara couldn't help but think about Cordyceps when she heard Blaze speak.

"Are you sure?" Aidan asked, giving the Blaziken a concerned look. "According to these Pokémon, there might be a crystal from Axis Tower hidden here somewhere."

"I have seen no such thing," Blaze responded, continuing to walk. "Don't bother me, I'm busy."

The other Pokémon exchanged confused glances, except Azure, who wasn't quite satisfied with the Blaziken's answer and tried running up to him before he could leave the area. Blaze didn't seem to acknowledge her presence, however.

"Are you hiding something?" Azure asked, smirking as she looked up at him.

Blaze ignored her and just continued to walk away. Azure just ran a bit further, trying to get his attention.

"Have you been doing anything suspicious lately?" Azure asked.

The Blaziken just continued walking away without even seeming to notice Azure, much to her annoyance.

" _Hey_ , I'm talking to you, chicken-breast!" Azure shouted as the Blaziken disappeared into one of the tunnels. "How rude…"

"I don't know what is up with him these days…" Aidan said, sighing. "I guess I'll go ask around and see if any of the others have noticed anything unusual."

As Aidan went off to another part of the volcano to ask the fire type Pokémon there if they'd seen anything out of the ordinary, the other seven Pokémon pondered what to do now.

"I think we should help Aidan ask around," Drake said.

"Good idea," Megara replied, nodding her head. "We might be able to learn something faster that way."

The three fire type Pokémon went off to help Aidan, while Sera and her teammates stayed behind, pondering what to do now.

"So… What exactly are we going to do now?" Azure asked. "Without Megara to show us around, we won't exactly know where to go."

"I guess we can explore and look for anything that might seem unusual?" Chiaki suggested.

"Um… We don't exactly know all that much about this place," Sera commented, glancing around. "I mean… Even if we came across something unusual, we might not even realize it since we don't really know all that much about this place…"

"Actually… I think there's something kind of obvious that we're overlooking here," Blitz said. "Megara's friends say the Blaziken is acting different from how he usually acts, right?"

"You think the Blaziken has something to do with this?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head.

"Well, even though I don't even know him… something certainly seemed off about his behavior…" Blitz said, looking down at the ground.

"But… doesn't he help Aidan look after the Pokémon here?" Chiaki asked. "I mean, surely he wouldn't be up to something not good…?"

"Even the most reliable of leaders could…" Blitz said, but stopped before he could finish whatever he was about to say.

Sera looked over at Blitz, wanting to say something, but wasn't sure what to say.

"I think Blitz is on to something," Azure said, nodding slightly. "There's definitely something suspicious going on with that guy."

"So… I guess we should go investigate, then…?" Sera asked, seeming a bit uncertain.

"It's the only lead we've got," Azure commented. "So, we might as well check it out, and see if we can find out what's going on."

"Okay… Let's do that, then…" Sera said, nodding her head slightly. "… Where do we begin?"

"Um… The Blaziken went that way, right?" Blitz asked, pointing his paw towards the tunnel which the Blaziken had left through.

"Yeah, he did," Azure responded.

"Oh. Well, I guess we should also go that way, then…" Sera said, slowly beginning to walk towards the tunnel.

* * *

Blitz tried his best to track the Blaziken's scent, although it was difficult to do considering the smoke and smell of sulfur that were mixed in with the air in the volcano. Blitz figured that the Pokémon living there weren't bothered by it, and tried his best to ignore it and focus on trying to follow the Blaziken's scent. Eventually, he lost the trail, and realized that he and his friends were probably lost now, unless Megara or one of her friends happened to find them.

"So… I'm guessing by the look on your face that you can't figure out where he might've gone from here?" Sera asked, looking somewhat concerned.

"Pretty much," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "I'm surprised I was even able to get us this far."

"Ugh, maybe I shouldn't have suggested this…" Sera said, sighing. "I'm so sorry, guys… I've gotten us all lost…"

"Hey, it's not your fault, Sera!" Blitz responded, looking around. "Maybe we should just go back the way we…" Blitz trailed off as he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

"What is it?" Chiaki asked. "Did you find something?"

"There's a Kangaskhan rock over there," Blitz responded, pointing a paw at the rock shaped like the kangaroo Pokémon.

"Oh, there is!" Chiaki said, nodding his head. "That's a good thing, right?"

"Well, since Mt. Caldera is marked on our map and Kala can teleport us here, then there must be a mystery dungeon here," Blitz explained, looking around. "And since this Kangaskhan rock is here, then that mystery dungeon is probably very close by."

"Ooh, right," Azure said, nodding slightly. "But how does finding the mystery dungeon of this place help us in this situation?"

"Hmm… Remember how Inferno said he tried following Blaze, but eventually lost sight of him?" Blitz asked, glancing around. "I sort of have a hunch, but…"

"Well, what is it?" Chiaki replied.

"I might be completely wrong here, I mean, we don't even know if this is the area Inferno was following Blaze into…" Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together. "But if it is… then maybe he lost sight of Blaze because Blaze went into the mystery dungeon?"

"Huh, I guess that kind of makes sense…" Azure commented. "Although as you said, you are just making a wild guess here."

"I know…" Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "Maybe I shouldn't even have brought it up…"

"So, what do we do from here, then?" Chiaki asked, looking around at his teammates.

"Um… I really don't know," Sera said, sighing. "I'm not doing a very good job as a rescue team leader today…"

"Sera, don't feel bad," Blitz responded, gently patting Sera's back. "None of us really know what to do at the moment…"

"Hmm… Guess we should try to figure out whether this mystery dungeon is worth exploring or not," Azure said, thinking for a moment. "Man, if only there was some kind of thing we could use to like, talk to Pokémon far away so we could talk to Megara and her friends, or if we could somehow send them a picture of this area with a short message like, "Hey, is this the place you lost sight of Blaze?" and then they could send a message back and say if it was or not…"

"Ooh, such a thing sounds like it'd be quite handy indeed," Chiaki commented, nodding his head slightly.

"We should've just followed Megara and her friends…" Sera muttered, her ears drooping slightly. "Why didn't I suggest that instead of bringing us out here…?"

"Sera, this is my fault just as much as it is yours," Blitz said, sighing. "After all, if I hadn't brought up Blaze's strange behavior as a possible clue as to how to find the crystal…"

"At least you actually _did_ figure something out, though," Sera replied.

"Guys, we can discuss our mistakes after the mission is over," Azure said, glancing at the tunnels. "I say we do explore the dungeon. I mean, the other crystals required us to explore mystery dungeons to get to them, so maybe we need to do that here too?"

"Well… I suppose that makes sense, as whoever hid them would make them difficult to reach from what we've seen so far," Blitz responded. "But… just like my theory, we can't know anything for sure."

"Yeah, that's right," Chiaki said, nodding his head. "I mean, what if the crystal-stealer decided to hide this one in a place that didn't require going through the mystery dungeon to reach, since the rescue teams would naturally assume that they'd have to go through the mystery dungeon after finding other crystals that way?"

"Um… You know, it's only a coincidence that our rescue team has been involved in getting back all the found crystals so far," Blitz commented, rubbing his forelegs together. "We only happened to be in the right place at the right times to learn about Stella's latest visions of a crystal location, and thus going to investigate those places…"

"Oh, right…" Chiaki said, looking down sheepishly. "I suppose the odds of the same rescue team finding all the crystals are kind of slim, huh?"

"Hey, what's going on here?" another voice asked, and the rescue team turned to see Megara and her two friends.

"Megara!" Chiaki exclaimed, looking happy to see her.

"Sorry I left you guys behind…" Megara said, rubbing the back of her head. "I decided to go check on you once I realized that without you guys, I won't be able to get back to Fenix Town since I don't have Mirage's rescue team badge with me…"

"Really, that's your only reason?" Azure asked, giving Megara a look.

"No, of course not," Megara replied, looking down sheepishly. "I'm sorry; I guess you guys were kind of lost without a guide, huh?"

"We were," Chiaki responded, smiling. "But everything is fine now that you're here!"

"Uh… Thanks," Megara replied, returning the smile.

"So, what were you talking about just now?" Drake asked.

Blitz decided to let Megara and her friends know about his suspicions regarding Blaze's strange behavior, and the possible connection to the crystal. The three fire types listened closely, and exchanged concerned glances as Blitz finished explaining.

"What do you guys think?" Megara asked.

"I… suppose it makes sense," Drake responded, sighing. "I guess we didn't really notice before because… well, I guess we didn't want to believe that Blaze would do something like that."

"Inferno, is this the place where you lost sight of Blaze that time?" Azure asked, looking over at the fire monkey.

"As a matter of fact, it is!" Inferno responded, nodding his head. "I guess he must've gotten into the mystery dungeon just before I reached this area."

The seven Pokémon present exchanged glances, and looked towards one of the tunnels.

"Is that the mystery dungeon entrance?" Blitz asked.

"It is," Megara replied, nodding her head. "You guys make preparations, and go ahead into the dungeon. Drake, Inferno and I will go find Aidan, and explain to him what you just told us."

"Okay," Blitz responded, nodding his head.

"We'll catch up to you as soon as we can," Megara said, giving a determined smile.

"Yeah, and when we catch up, things are really going to _heat_ up!" Inferno added, grinning.

"… Good luck, you guys," Drake said, while rubbing his head and sighing at Inferno's attempt at a joke.

The three fire types went off to find Aidan, while Sera and her teammates were left behind to make their preparations for exploring the mystery dungeon. Hopefully, it would lead them closer to finding out where the crystal was hidden, and what Blaze's strange behavior was all about.

* * *

**End of Chapter 28**


	29. I... I don't know what's wrong with me today...

* * *

Mt. Caldera was an unfamiliar place to Sera and her teammates, but at least mystery dungeons felt more like familiar territory. Of course, before they could enter the dungeon, they needed to make a few preparations. Sera was standing in front of the Kangaskhan rock, and seemed to be having difficulty deciding on which items to bring.

"Um… Considering this is fire type territory, maybe we should bring Rawst berries in case we get burned?" Blitz suggested, having noticed that Sera seemed to be unsure what to retrieve from their item storage.

"Oh, right… Rawst berries…" Sera said and nodded her head slightly, before looking through the berries they had in storage. "… Ah! We barely have any Rawst berries in here!" Sera sighed and leaned her head against the rock. "Why haven't I bought more…?"

"Sera, there's no need to freak out!" Azure commented, shrugging slightly.

"Hmm… I guess we can bring some Heal Seeds," Blitz said, thinking for a moment. "If we don't have enough Rawst berries, then Heal Seeds will work too."

"Right, Heal Seeds…" Sera said, sighing. "Why didn't I think of that…? Oh, but how many do I bring?"

"Yeah, there's always that dilemma there…" Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "Bring along an item that would be useful, or save it for later?"

"I don't know what to do!" Sera exclaimed, her ears twitching.

"Whoa, calm down!" Blitz said, surprised at Sera's sudden outburst.

"Sorry!" Sera responded, turning to Blitz. "I… I don't know what's wrong with me today…"

"… Do you want me to handle the items for you?" Blitz asked, looking somewhat concerned.

"O-Okay…" Sera replied, nodding her head and moving aside so Blitz could get to the Kangaskhan rock. "Here you go…"

Sera set down the treasure bag so Blitz could look through it and the items in storage, and determine which to bring and which to save for another time. While Blitz was managing the items, Sera took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

"Come on, Sera, you're the leader of this rescue team," Sera said to herself, lightly hitting one of her paws against her head. "You've got to pull yourself together!"

"Why are you talking to yourself?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"It's nothing to be concerned about," Sera replied, shaking her head.

"Sera, the last few days have been kind of stressful for you," Azure said. "So, we understand if you're feeling a bit out of it today."

"Thanks for the concern, but I'll be fine, really," Sera responded, managing a smile at her teammates. "So, Blitz? How is the item management going?"

"Almost done," Blitz replied, placing a few items into the bag.

"Good!" Sera responded, nodding her head. "I guess we're almost ready to get going, then!"

Sera, Chiaki and Azure waited for Blitz to finish sorting out the items, and soon Blitz closed the lid on the treasure bag and returned it to Sera.

"Here you go," Blitz said. "I think I picked out a good selection of items."

Sera nodded, and opened the lid to see which items Blitz had picked out for her. After looking over everything, she closed the lid again and smiled at Blitz.

"Yeah, this probably looks good," Sera said, nodding her head slightly. "Thanks for helping me out, Blitz."

"No problem," Blitz responded, looking around. "So… I guess we should start exploring the mystery dungeon, then?"

"I'm ready!" Azure said, raising her hand.

"So am I!" Chiaki said, smiling and waving his paw.

"Okay, let's go, then!" Sera said, walking up to the entrance to the mystery dungeon.

She waited for her three friends to gather together at the entrance, and then the four of them entered the mystery dungeon together.

* * *

Meanwhile, Megara and her two friends, Drake the Charmeleon and Inferno the Monferno had managed to find Aidan the Arcanine, and were currently explaining to him what Blitz had explained to them earlier. Aidan listened closely to what they had to say, and nodded his head as they finished explaining.

"I feared something like that might be the case…" Aidan said, sighing.

"Come on, Aidan!" Megara said, looking up at the Arcanine. "We need to get to the bottom of this!"

"You're right…" Aidan responded, nodding his head slightly. "I need to find out exactly what is going on with Blaze, even if it means possibly having to fight him…"

"Whoa, could it be?" Inferno said, staring wide-eyed. "Will we finally get our answer to the question of who would win in a battle between Aidan and Blaze?"

"Possibly," Drake responded, looking over at Inferno. "However, the situation is quite serious."

"I know!" Inferno replied, grinning. "But you have to admit, the thought of a battle between those two is quite exciting!"

"I suppose it is…" Drake commented, thinking about it for a moment.

"So, the rescue team you brought along with you is over at the mystery dungeon right now, right?" Aidan asked, looking over at Megara.

"Yeah, they're probably exploring it as we speak," Megara responded, nodding her head.

"Let's get going, then," Aidan replied, running ahead.

"Hey, wait for us!" Inferno shouted, running after him. "I don't want to miss out on whatever's going to happen!"

* * *

Sera and her teammates were making their way through the mystery dungeon, Azure seeming to be having the time of her life as her water attacks made quick work of the wild fire type Pokémon they came across. Blitz was still amazed at how well the silver-colored headbands Couture gave them to protect them from the heat worked, since he doubted they would've been able to withstand it otherwise.

Sera was doing her best to focus on leading her team through the mystery dungeon, but she kept getting distracted by the thoughts that kept swirling inside her head.

 _"What's with me these days…?"_ Sera thought to herself. _"I am the leader of this rescue team… I need to focus!"_

Sera's ears twitched slightly as she glanced around, trying to decide which way to go.

 _"As leader, I must… look out for my teammates' well-being, right?"_ Sera thought, slowly leading her team forward. _"And I… really messed things up when I made Hercules tell me Blitz's secret… I need to make things right, but how?"_

Sera gave a quiet sigh, and glanced over her shoulder. She was certain Blitz and the others could tell she was concerned, but she had to try to stay strong to convince them that it was nothing they needed to be worried about.

 _"I have to think of something, but for now… my team needs me to get them through this dungeon,"_ Sera thought, nodding her head slightly. _"I can do this… right? I've been a good leader for my team, right?"_

Walking up the stairs to the next floor, the rescue team moved further into the mystery dungeon. How many floors was this mystery dungeon anyways? Sera wasn't sure, but maybe Blitz knew? She was about to ask him if he knew how many floors were left, but closed her mouth and remained quiet as she kept on leading the way.

 _"Do I… depend too much on Blitz?"_ Sera thought, looking down at the floor as she kept walking. _"While I did go on a mission without him a few days back… Didn't I just end up looking to Azure or Chiaki when I couldn't think of anything?"_

Sera's ears drooped down slightly, and she stopped walking for a moment.

 _"I'm the leader of this rescue team… but do I really have what it takes?"_ Sera thought, blinking a few times as she contemplated this. _"A leader is supposed to have confidence and the knowledge to handle any situation that might come up… Do I have either of those things?"_

"Sera, what's the matter?" Azure shouted. "Shouldn't we keep moving?"

"Oh, right!" Sera responded, nodding her head. "Sorry!"

Sera continued marching on, glancing around as her ears continued to twitch slightly.

 _"Blitz is the one with the knowledge, and when he's around, I can be confident because I know he's there for me,"_ Sera thought. _"But… is that really the only reason I've made it this far?"_

* * *

Eventually, Sera and her teammates reached the end of the mystery dungeon. Sera sat down and took a moment to catch her breath, while Blitz, Chiaki and Azure began looking around at their surroundings. It seemed the mystery dungeon had led them into another part of the volcano, but they weren't entirely sure how far this area was from the previous one.

"So… Do we explore further, or wait for Megara and the others to get here?" Azure asked, glancing around.

"I think we should wait…" Blitz responded, rubbing the rings on his forelegs together. "I mean, we don't know what might await us if we keep going…"

"Blitz has a point," Sera commented, nodding her head slightly. "Let's just rest for a bit and wait for the others to catch up…"

The four Pokémon sat down and waited for Megara and her friends to show up, however, Azure suddenly heard something.

"Something wrong, Azure?" Chiaki asked, looking over at the Marill.

"Quiet, I hear something…" Azure responded, trying to figure out where the sounds were coming from.

"Is it Megara and the others?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"No… I think it's coming from over there," Azure said, pointing towards a nearby tunnel.

"Um… Maybe it's just the sounds of the volcano?" Blitz suggested, nervously rubbing his forelegs as he began to realize what this would likely lead to. "Volcanoes probably make quite a few sounds that aren't really worth investigating, with all the magma and stuff that's in it…"

"Hey, be quiet!" Azure said again, taking a few steps towards the tunnel and listening closely to try to identify the sounds. "Hmm… Nope, these aren't volcano sounds!"

"I was afraid she'd say that…" Blitz commented, sighing.

"What is it, then?" Chiaki asked, walking up to Azure and trying to listen to the tunnel.

"Hmm… Footsteps…" Azure said, listening closely. "… Claws or talons scratching against the rocky floor…"

"Whoa, you're awesome, Azure!" Chiaki exclaimed.

"Thanks!" Azure responded, grinning. "It's probably that Blaziken that's walking around in there."

"Okay, that's good to know," Blitz said. "Now, let's wait until Megara and the others get here before we do anything about it."

"Why?" Azure asked, tilting her head slightly. "It couldn't hurt to just go take a look, could it?"

"… Azure, if you say something like that out loud, chances something bad might happen increase by twenty percent," Blitz commented, sighing.

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't have said that…" Azure responded, looking down sheepishly. "If we don't go check it out, though, we might lose our chance to figure out what's going on."

Blitz was about to say something, but Sera suddenly stepped in.

"Azure, don't…" Sera said, and it seemed like she was going to say more, but suddenly froze.

Sera stared at her friends, trying to say something, but even though her mouth moved slightly, she couldn't get any words out. Her teammates looked at her with confused glances, which soon turned to looks of concern as they waited for her to say something.

"I… I think we should wait…" Sera finally managed to get out, trying to regain her composure. "Like Blitz said… it's probably better to wait for Megara and the others."

"Okay, you're right," Azure responded, nodding slightly. "I'll be right back!"

And with that, Azure cheerfully ran inside the tunnel. Her teammates stared blankly at the tunnel, taking a moment to register what had just happened.

"Did she…?" Chiaki said, pointing at the tunnel.

"She did," Blitz responded, sighing. "Well, guess we'd better go after her."

Sera, Blitz and Chiaki walked through the tunnel, and soon saw Azure looking at the various walls in the room, although the Blaziken was nowhere to be seen.

"Guys, check it out," Azure said, motioning for her friends to come closer.

The rocky walls in the area seemed to be partially distorted, parts of the walls occasionally turning transparent.

"So, it's spread even here…" Blitz said, looking around.

"Do you think this is what caused the Blaziken's strange behavior?" Chiaki asked.

"No way," Azure responded, shaking her head. "There has to be something more… Let's go a bit further. I think I know which way the Blaziken went."

"Azure, what part of 'this is a bad idea' don't you understand?" Blitz asked, sighing.

"This is the perfect chance to figure out what's going on, though!" Azure responded, grinning. "Come on, where's your sense of adventure?"

Azure did have a point, but Blitz still wanted to wait until the others got there. That, and he was getting the feeling that being in an area where most of the Pokémon around were weak to her water attacks was making the adventure-loving Azure feel a bit too confident.

"… Sera, it's your call," Blitz said, looking over at Sera. "Investigate now, or wait for the others to show up?"

"Um… Am I really the best Pokémon to make that decision?" Sera asked, glancing around. "I mean, I know I'm the leader of this team and all, but…"

"Come on, Sera," Chiaki said, patting Sera on the back and smiling at her. "You can do this!"

Sera's ears twitched slightly, and she nervously looked to Blitz and Azure, trying to make a decision. However, before she could say anything, Azure's ears suddenly twitched as she picked up on something.

"Huh? Is something going on over there?" Azure wondered, before running towards the tunnel to investigate.

"Ah, wait up!" Sera exclaimed, chasing after Azure.

"… Well, I suppose now we _have_ to go over there, huh," Blitz commented, sighing.

"Yeah, I guess we do," Chiaki responded, nodding.

"Let's hurry up and catch up to the girls, then," Blitz said, beginning to move towards the tunnel. "But be careful, and try to be as quiet as you can."

"Okay!" Chiaki replied, with a cheerful smile as he followed Blitz.

The two soon caught up to the girls, who were hiding behind some rocks, watching the Blaziken move about. It almost seemed as if he was patrolling the area, but why?

"What's going on?" Blitz asked, whispering as he and Chiaki moved over to Sera and Azure.

"We're not sure," Azure replied, narrowing her eyes. "He's definitely up to something, though."

"So… Do we go back then?" Chiaki whispered, tilting his head slightly.

"But we haven't figured out _what_ he's up to yet," Azure responded, sighing. "However, I'm not sure if we can get any further from here…"

"Hmm…" Blitz carefully peeked over the rocks while Blaze wasn't looking. "… You can't, but maybe I can… Wait here, guys."

Blitz quietly began moving closer, trying not to be spotted as he made his way over to a position where he could possibly get a better view. As she watched him, Sera couldn't help but worry that something would go wrong. She was also amazed at how well Blitz was keeping his composure, even though he was probably just as worried as she was.

 _"Oh, Blitz, be careful,"_ Sera thought, finding herself unable to take her eyes off of Blitz.

Blitz was indeed nervous, but just used the technique he'd learned to control his breathing while he crept closer. On first glance, it seemed like Blaze was seemingly guarding a lava pool, but Blitz didn't pay much attention to that and instead began looking up at the walls on the other side of the lava pool. That was the only place where something could be hidden.

It was difficult to see at first, but Blitz soon noticed something red and sparkly poking out slightly from a wall.

 _"Isn't that…?"_ Blitz thought, before carefully starting to sneak back over to where his friends were waiting.

"So, did you see anything?" Azure asked, looking at Blitz expectantly.

"I think I saw the Axis Tower crystal," Blitz responded. "It seems to be stuck inside a wall."

"Well done, Blitz!" Azure replied, grinning. "So, what's the plan?"

"First, we need to wait for Megara and the others," Blitz responded. "Only a fire type Pokémon can get across the lava pool that's in the way."

"Okay… Let's move back over to where we ended up when we got out of the mystery dungeon, and wait there for the others," Sera said, and turned around.

As she began walking back, Sera's tail accidentally brushed against a small rock, sending it flying for a short distance through the area before it landed on the ground. The sound of the small rock hitting the ground was enough to make Blaze turn around, noticing Sera.

Blitz realized Sera had been spotted, but before he could warn her, the Blaziken had already rushed over and picked up Sera by her ears.

"What do you want?" Blaze asked, staring at Sera.

"Ah, let me go!" Sera exclaimed, flailing as she attempted to free herself from the Blaziken's grip.

"Why are you here?" Blaze asked, still staring at the Eevee, his expression oddly blank.

"Seriously, that hurts!" Sera shouted, glaring at the Blaziken. "Let go of my ears, now!"

The Blaziken just continued to stare at Sera, as if he wasn't sure what to do with her. Blitz knew that this guy was probably much stronger than him, but he still had to try to help Sera. Blitz ran out from his hiding spot, and glared at Blaze.

"Let her go!" Blitz shouted, trying to get the Blaziken's attention.

The Blaziken turned around, looking over at Blitz.

"You really shouldn't be here," Blaze said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Maybe you didn't hear me," Blitz growled, trying his best to imitate one of his mother's intimidating glares. "Let my friend go!"

Blaze let go of Sera's ears, causing the unfortunate Eevee to fall to the ground.

"Sera, are you okay?" Chiaki asked, rushing over to her side.

"That really hurt…" Sera muttered, rubbing her ears with her forepaws.

Blaze began walking towards Blitz, and Azure quickly ran over to Blitz's side and assumed a battle position next to him.

"Ready to fight this guy when you are, buddy," Azure said, smirking. "So, what's the plan?"

"Um… Let me think…" Blitz responded, nervously rubbing his forelegs together.

Blitz had to think of something fast, as the Blaziken was slowly approaching him and Azure and he wasn't sure what would happen once it got close enough. He was just glad it hadn't tried to attack with any ranged fire attacks or something along those lines. What _were_ they going to do, though? Were they going to fight? They still didn't know what was going on with Blaze, but Blitz had the feeling that whatever had happened to Blaze was somehow connected to the crystal that was currently stuck in the wall a short distance away.

If they did have to fight, how were they going to beat him? Blaze looked like a strong opponent, but even if he was stronger than they were, surely they could beat him with just the right strategy. Of course, such a strategy would be difficult to come up with on such a short notice.

Blitz glanced at Azure, wondering how much damage one of her water attacks would do against the Blaziken. Maybe if he made his fur shine, then Azure could attack while the Blaziken was still blinded from the light?

Blaze was suddenly hit in the back of the head by a stream of golden shooting stars, and turned to see Chiaki glaring at him.

"Stop this!" Chiaki shouted. "You're supposed to be helping the Pokémon who live here, not bothering my friends!"

"Why are you trying to get in my way?" Blaze muttered, as he turned around and began moving back towards Chiaki and Sera.

"Chiaki, what are you doing?" Sera asked, hiding behind the Mienfoo.

"I was hoping I could bring him back to his senses," Chiaki responded.

Chiaki continued to try to talk to Blaze, but it didn't seem like the words were reaching the Blaziken. Blitz had to quickly think of a way to get Blaze's attention again, and recalled something his father had once tried to teach him. Blitz had never actually tried the move in question, so he wasn't sure if he'd be able to get the technique right. He still decided to give it a try, and tried to remember what his father had said.

Blitz took a step forward, and then took a deep breath. He then attempted to let out a powerful Roar, but the only sound that he was able to produce was more of a high-pitched squeaking noise.

"… What was that?" Azure asked, tilting her head slightly.

"I… I guess my Roar needs work…" Blitz said, looking rather embarrassed.

However, Blitz's Roar did accomplish its intended purpose, as Blaze turned around again, looking towards Blitz and Azure in confusion. Before he could do anything else, a much louder Roar suddenly echoed from one of the tunnels, and as Blaze turned towards the source of the sound, he was suddenly tackled to the ground by an Arcanine.

"Aidan!" Blitz exclaimed, looking rather relieved to see the Arcanine.

"Sorry I took so long," Aidan said, looking around. "Is everyone okay in here?"

"Yeah, we're fine!" Azure responded, grinning.

"What's going on in here?" Megara asked as she, Drake and Inferno ran over to the others.

"Megara, we found the crystal!" Chiaki said, happily running up to the Magmar. "Blitz can show you where it is!"

"Oh, you found it already?" Megara asked, grinning and giving Blitz a thumbs-up. "Well done!"

"Um… Thanks, I guess," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "We need the help of you guys to actually get to it, though."

"All right, lead the way!" Megara replied, grinning.

"Uh… Hold on," Sera said, pointing a paw at Blaze, who was staring to stir. "Shouldn't we do something about him?"

Blaze got back onto his feet without a word, before glaring at Aidan.

"You're in my way…" Blaze muttered, before suddenly ramming into Aidan with enough force to knock him backwards.

"Whoa! B-Blaze?" Aidan exclaimed, looking rather frightened by this turn of events.

"In my way…" Blaze muttered, charging at Aidan before rapidly hitting the Arcanine with a flurry of punches and kicks. "In my way… In my way!"

"Aidan!" Megara exclaimed, looking horrified at the scene.

"This isn't good…" Drake said, clenching his fists. "We've got to do something…"

"Come on, Aidan, fight back!" Inferno shouted. "Tackle him to assert your dominance!"

Aidan struggled to endure Blaze's repeated attacks while he attempted to find an opening so he could fight back, but it didn't seem like Blaze was going to let that happen. Luckily for Aidan, a Bubble Beam attack to the back of the head made Blaze momentarily stop, just long enough for Aidan to push him aside, before collapsing.

"Nice shot, Azure!" Megara said, grinning at the aqua mouse Pokémon.

"Thank you," Azure responded, smirking. "That felt really good."

Blitz began running over to Aidan, making his fur shine as he passed Blaze to momentarily blind the Blaziken, who had turned his attention back to Azure and the others.

"Aidan, eat these!" Blitz said, placing two Oran berries near the Arcanine.

"Thanks…" Aidan responded, eating the two berries and regaining his energy. "Ah, much better…"

"Are you okay?" Blitz asked, glancing over at Blaze, who was rubbing his eyes while muttering something.

"Yeah, I will be," Aidan responded, nodding his head. "That was quite the scare, though… I wouldn't be surprised if my fur had turned white for a moment there as he suddenly charged at me…"

"What should we do about him?" Blitz asked, nervously looking up to the Arcanine.

"Blaze is my friend, I know he would never do something like this under normal circumstances," Aidan said, narrowing his eyes. "Something or someone else might be controlling him."

"Controlling him?" Blitz asked, tilting his head slightly. "Well, how do we get him back to normal, then?"

"I don't know," Aidan responded, shaking his head. "For now, I'm just going to try to defeat him before he ends up hurting anyone else!"

Blaze soon came rushing at Aidan again, but this time, Aidan was able to swiftly step to the side and dodge Blaze's attack. As the battle begun, Blitz quickly headed back over to his friends.

"Sera, Chiaki, you two take Megara, Drake and Inferno over to where I spotted the crystal, and try to retrieve it," Blitz said, before turning to Azure. "In the meantime, Azure and I will help Aidan defeat Blaze."

"Ooh, I like this plan!" Azure responded, grinning.

"Okay, Blitz…" Sera said, nodding her head. "That's… a good idea, I think…"

Sera, Chiaki, Megara, Drake and Inferno headed off to retrieve the crystal, while Blitz and Azure turned around and began to prepare to assist Aidan.

"Eat this Violent Seed to boost your attacking strength," Blitz said, handing Azure a small seed.

"Okay!" Azure responded, happily popping the seed into her mouth.

In the meantime, Aidan and Blaze were running around, both trying to catch up to and attack the other. Eventually, the two stopped, and Blaze attempted to strike Aidan with an electrified fist, only for Aidan to dodge and then bite down on Blaze's fist with electrified fangs. Blitz and Azure watched as sparks flew from the two.

"I guess I should wait until they're done with the electricity before I attack?" Azure asked.

"Yes, you should," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

* * *

Sera and Chiaki looked up at the cave wall across the lava pool, and eventually, they spotted the red crystal partially poking out from a wall.

"There it is!" Chiaki said, pointing up to the wall.

"All right, we'll get it," Megara said, with a confident smirk. "Inferno, you're good at climbing, right?"

"Of course," Inferno responded, grinning. "I'm all _fired_ up for this!"

"Dude, this isn't the time for your bad jokes!" Drake replied, looking rather annoyed.

"Oh, come on, Drake," Inferno said, happily putting his arm around the Charmeleon. "Just admit that you do lava my jokes!"

"Seriously, stop it," Drake responded, pushing Inferno's hand away.

"You want me to go dormant?" Inferno asked, grinning at Drake.

Drake just sighed, and shook his head.

"Let's just go get that crystal and get this over with," Drake said.

The three fire type Pokémon easily made it across the lava pool while Sera and Chiaki looked on, and Inferno soon began climbing the wall in order to get up to the crystal while Megara and Drake waited for him on the ground. Inferno managed to reach the point where the crystal was without much difficulty, but how was he going to get the crystal out of the wall?

"Hmm… Maybe I can punch it loose?" Inferno said, considering it for a moment before shaking his head. "No, that's a terrible idea…"

"Shame I can't get up there," Drake commented, looking at his own claws. "My Metal Claw attack would probably have been able to break through the rock around the crystal…"

"Well, I guess we need to get something Inferno can use to dig that crystal out," Megara said, before looking over to Sera and Chiaki on the other side of the lava pool. "Do either of you have something that can help Inferno?"

"Um… Blitz has our items," Sera responded, looking down at the ground.

"Oh, wait a minute!" Chiaki said, pulling out three Silver Spikes. "I picked these up when we were exploring the mystery dungeon, but I guess I must've forgotten to hand them over to Blitz!"

"When did you do that?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Will this do?" Chiaki shouted, holding up a Silver Spike for Megara and Drake to see.

"It's worth a try!" Megara responded.

Chiaki nodded his head, and held the Silver Spike in his paw. Soon, his paw began to glow with a golden light, and soon Chiaki launched the spike inside a golden star up to where Inferno was, who managed to catch it in his hand.

"Whoa," Inferno said, examining the spike. "Thanks, dude!"

"You're welcome!" Chiaki responded, smiling and waving.

Inferno then began picking at the rock with the Silver Spike, starting to slowly but surely dig the crystal out.

* * *

In the meantime, the heated battle between Aidan and Blaze continued, both Pokémon occasionally having to stop and catch their breaths. Blitz and Azure were doing what they could to assist Aidan, but since both Pokémon were moving so fast, it was difficult for them to help.

"Was this really worth using up one of our Violent Seeds?" Azure asked, tilting her head slightly. "We're not actually doing much fighting here."

"Well, at least that way you _are_ prepared whenever we do need to step in," Blitz replied.

"I suppose," Azure responded, trying her best to keep up with the battle. "Wow, these two are fast. I'm worried I might blink and miss everything…"

"I know what you mean," Blitz said, nodding his head slightly. "They're both starting to look tired, though. This might be over soon…"

"Come on, Aidan!" Azure shouted, grinning. "You can do this!"

Aidan's fur and Blaze's feathers were looking rather messy from all the fighting and both of them were worn out from the fight.

"Blaze… Please snap out of it!" Aidan said.

The Blaziken just ignored him, and crossed his arms over his chest, beginning to glow with a blue and white light.

"… I guess you're not going to listen," Aidan said, shaking his head. "Very well, let's get this over with."

Aidan growled, and his body soon became enveloped in purple flames, while Blaze spread his arms as the glow around them took the shape of wings. The two Pokémon then charged at each other, before colliding in a big flash of light.

"Whoa! What was that?" Azure asked, trying to shield her eyes from the bright light.

"I think… Blaze used a Brave Bird attack, while Aidan used Outrage," Blitz responded, blinking a few times. "Both very powerful attacks…"

As the dust settled, Blitz and Azure could see that both Aidan and Blaze were still standing, although not for long, as Blaze collapsed just a few seconds later. Aidan stumbled around for a bit, looking rather dazed, before collapsing himself. Blitz and Azure quickly ran up to the Arcanine, taking out a Reviver Seed and giving it to Aidan.

The Arcanine soon opened his eyes, and looked at the two young Pokémon.

"So, how'd I do?" Aidan asked, getting to his feet.

"You beat him," Azure responded, grinning. "That was quite the awesome battle!"

"Thanks," Aidan replied, glancing over at Blaze's unconscious body. "I just hope that Blaze will be back to normal when he wakes up…"

* * *

Inferno continued using the Silver Spike to pick away at the rock around the crystal, and was now close to getting it loose from the wall. Drake and Megara were watching and getting ready to catch the crystal once it fell down, while Chiaki and Sera were waiting on the other side of the lava pool for the fire types to finish their work.

"Almost got it," Inferno said, grinning as he continued digging the crystal out.

With a few more determined strikes against the rock, the crystal fell out from the cave wall, and landed in Drake's arms.

"All right, we did it!" Drake said, handing the crystal to Megara.

"Thanks, you guys!" Megara responded, grinning.

Inferno climbed back down, and the three fire types went back across the lava pool to the Mienfoo and Eevee waiting on the other side.

"You did it!" Chiaki exclaimed, smiling as he saw the crystal.

"Couldn't have done it without your help," Megara said, smiling back at Chiaki and Sera.

"You're welcome!" Chiaki responded, grinning.

The five of them went to go check on how things had gone for Blitz, Azure and Aidan, with Sera staring down at the ground with her ears drooping down as they went.

* * *

After moving to a different area within the volcano, Aidan, Drake, Inferno and Megara were waiting for Blaze to wake up, while Chiaki was showing the crystal they had retrieved to Azure. Sera was just sitting on the ground, facing a wall.

"Sera, what's the matter?" Blitz asked, walking up to her. "We got the crystal, so shouldn't you be more excited?"

"I didn't really do anything, though," Sera responded, sighing. "You, Azure and Chiaki did all the hard work… All I did was following your lead… Really, I'm not fit to be the leader of this rescue team…"

"Huh?" Blitz replied, tilting his head. "Where's this coming from all of a sudden?"

"Blitz, think about it… All I've ever done is listen to you and following advice and never really trusting myself to make own decisions when exploring," Sera said, glancing over her shoulder at Blitz. "While I may be a good enough _explorer_ , I don't really have what it takes to be a _leader_ …"

"Sera…" Blitz responded, unsure what to say to her.

"I'm so sorry, Blitz," Sera said, shaking her head. "I should've treated you better, but I messed up…"

Blitz wasn't sure what to do. Sera was clearly under a lot of stress these days, to the point where she was in no condition to act as the rescue team leader. Perhaps someone else could fill in for her while she took a few days to recover? The question was, who? Chiaki was much too inexperienced to be a rescue team leader, and while Azure was getting better at it, she was too unpredictable. It seemed like there was only one option.

"Um… Would you like me to be the leader?" Blitz asked, rubbing his forelegs together.

"What?" Sera responded, surprised at this. "I thought you didn't want to be a leader? I mean, what about those things that happened to you at your old home?"

"Well… Being the leader of a Luxray pride and the leader of a rescue team are two different things, right?" Blitz replied, looking away. "Besides, it'd only be for a little while… You know, until you're feeling a little better, and can properly focus on the missions."

"You'd… do that for me?" Sera asked, blinking a few times.

"We're friends, and… friends look out for each other, right?" Blitz responded, glancing around.

"Yeah, they look out for each other," Sera replied, hugging Blitz. "Thank you…"

"I'll… do my best," Blitz responded half-heartedly, nodding his head slightly.

The two of them soon walked over to the others, as Blaze was starting to regain consciousness.

"Ugh… What happened?" Blaze asked, rubbing his head and looking around at the Pokémon gathered around him. "… Megara? When did you come over for a visit? And who are these four Pokémon?"

"You don't remember?" Megara responded, tilting her head.

"Um… Not really," Blaze replied, blinking a few times. "I… recall patrolling the area, and… there was a Sigilyph there…"

"Wait, a Sigilyph?" Blitz inquired, leaning a bit closer.

"Yeah… I asked what he was up to, but he just laughed… and then I tried to stop him from leaving, but I think he hit me with an attack…" Blaze said, thinking for a moment, before shaking his head. "Everything is kind of fuzzy after that…"

"I… see…" Blitz responded, looking over at his teammates.

"So, the Sigilyph that stole the crystal was the one who made Blaze act all weird and suspicious," Azure said, tilting her head slightly. "How'd he do that?"

"Um… What are you talking about?" Blaze asked, looking rather lost.

"It's a long story," Megara replied, gently patting Blaze's shoulder.

"I'm glad to have you back," Aidan said, smiling at Blaze. "I'll explain everything I know later."

"Oh, okay…" Blaze responded, nodding his head.

"Well, I'd like to stay longer, talk about the old times and such, but we should probably be heading back to Fenix Town," Megara said, looking over at Drake and Inferno. "It was nice seeing you guys again, though!"

"Yeah, it was nice seeing you too," Drake responded, smiling at Megara.

"You should come back and visit another time when there isn't some crisis going on!" Inferno commented, grinning.

"I will," Megara responded, nodding her head. "And you guys should come visit me sometime, so you can meet my teammates!"

"We'll consider it," Drake replied, before turning to Sera and her teammates. "It was nice meeting you guys as well, and maybe we'll meet again someday?"

"I'd like that!" Chiaki responded, smiling.

"Ooh, I can tell you some more of my jokes the next time we meet!" Inferno said, grinning.

"Hey, don't scare him like that," Drake commented, smirking at Inferno.

"What?" Inferno said, shrugging. "Come on, you _do_ like my jokes. Just admit it!"

Megara chuckled, and hugged her two friends, before walking up to Sera and the others.

"Let's return to town, and give this crystal to Stella," Chiaki said, smiling.

"Four crystals found, four more out there," Azure commented, grinning.

"I wish you luck in getting the remaining crystals back," Aidan said, smiling to the Pokémon from Fenix Town. "In the meantime, Blaze and I will keep an eye on things here, and keep track of the distortions."

"Thanks, Aidan," Megara responded, nodding her head.

Blitz looked to Sera expectantly, only to remember that this time; _he_ was the one who was going to use the badge to send everyone home. He took the silver badge in his paws and looking down at it for a few moments, before lifting it up and letting it release its magic to teleport everyone back to town. Drake and Inferno waved good-bye, before going off somewhere, while Aidan explained to Blaze what was going on.

* * *

When they returned to town, Megara went to find Mirage and Cordyceps so she could tell them about how her mission had gone, while Blitz, Sera, Chiaki and Azure stopped by Stella's house to drop off the crystal for safe-keeping. When he and Chiaki had returned home for the night, Blitz lay awake and kept staring at the bag and the rescue team badge which was now sitting in a corner, thinking about how he now was the rescue team leader until Sera was feeling better.

Being a rescue team leader _was_ different from leading a Luxray pride. That's what Blitz had said to Sera earlier, and he kept quietly repeating it to himself as he tried to sleep.

* * *

**End of Chapter 29**


	30. You really do have natural talent as a leader!

* * *

It was late at night, and most Pokémon in Fenix Town were asleep. However, for Elina, this was an opportunity to have some telepathy lessons with Kala while none of the rescue teams were around. After she'd finally figured out how to relax and project her thoughts, they'd managed to make a lot of progress with the lessons. While their lessons had mostly consisted of asking each other and answering simple questions, Kala felt like trying something a little bit different this time.

"… And then you have to say a different Pokémon that has something in common with the Pokémon I described, and then describe a quality that Pokémon possesses," Kala explained. "We keep doing this until one of us can't think of a Pokémon that matches the trait the other described, understood?"

Elina nodded her head slightly.

"All right… Let's do this," Kala said, and switched to telepathy as she began the game. _"Even though it's late at night, the Noctowl doesn't mind. Because the Noctowl goes hunting when it's dark, just like…"_

 _"…_ _a Sneasel?"_ Elina suggested, before quickly continuing when Kala nodded her head. _"Yes, the Sneasel-y Sneasel goes hunting when it's dark, and it's sneaky and quiet like…"_

 _"…_ _a Luxio!"_ Kala responded, smirking as she continued. _"The Luxio is sneaky and quiet when it goes hunting, but can shine so very brightly just like…"_

 _"…_ _a Chinchou!"_ Elina replied. _"The Chinchou shines brightly, lighting up the ocean floor. It feels at home there in the sea, just like…"_

 _"…_ _a Clamperl,"_ Kala responded, thinking for a short moment before continuing. _"The Clamperl feels at home in the sea, although it usually stays still. But that's okay, because it has a tough shell to protect it just like…"_

 _"…_ _a Metapod!"_ Elina replied, smiling. _"The Metapod is protected by a tough shell and daydreams all day long. It dreams of the day it'll be able to fly, just like…"_

 _"…_ _a Bagon!"_ Kala responded, smirking. _"The Bagon dreams of growing wings so that it can learn to fly. It has a hard head to protect it when it falls, just like…"_

Elina blinked a few times, trying to think of something. Eventually, she just shook her head, and Kala just nodded slightly.

 _"… Seems I win this round,"_ Kala communicated via telepathy, smiling at Elina. _"You did really well, though."_

 _"_ _Oh, thanks, Kala!"_ Elina responded, nodding her head.

"Well, maybe that's enough telepathy training for tonight," Kala said, yawning. "You've really improved at this in the past few days…"

 _"_ _Yes, I guess I have,"_ Elina responded via telepathy, seeming proud of herself. _"I'm really glad you're teaching me, Kala."_

Kala nodded her head, and then plopped down onto her pillow and fell asleep. Elina figured Kala had used quite a bit of energy on the telepathy lessons, and now needed her rest. Since it was so late, there wasn't really any point in waking her up anyways. Elina then realized that she too needed to find a place to sleep for tonight.

"You still here, Elina…?" Kala asked, seeming to be talking in her sleep. "You can stay here for tonight, if you'd like… I don't mind…"

Elina was surprised at this, but gladly accepted Kala's offer and lay down on the floor next to her. It was better than sleeping outside, she thought to herself as she fell asleep.

* * *

Chiaki woke up the next morning to discover that Blitz seemed to be sitting in a corner with his eyes closed, whispering something while holding the silver rescue team badge in his paws. Chiaki tried listening, but couldn't quite make out what Blitz was saying. He did think it sounded kind of like Blitz was trying to give himself a pep-talk, though. Chiaki also thought he heard Blitz mention Sera's name a few times.

"… Blitz, what are you doing?" Chiaki asked, smiling at the Shinx.

Blitz gave a startled yell, and his fur shone brightly for a moment, before Blitz calmed down.

"Ah… Don't startle me like that," Blitz said, sighing.

"Sorry!" Chiaki responded, rubbing his eyes. "Good morning, by the way!"

"Good morning," Blitz replied, attaching the badge back onto the treasure bag. "So… ready to head out?"

"Yeah, I'm ready!" Chiaki responded, with a cheerful smile.

The two of them headed outside and began heading into the town, Blitz carrying the treasure bag with the rescue team badge on it. It felt a bit weird carrying these things, and Blitz wasn't sure how he felt about being a rescue team leader, even if it was only until Sera was feeling better. At least being the leader of a rescue team wasn't the same as being the leader of a Luxray pride.

How different would it be from the missions they'd been on so far, though? He wasn't entirely sure about that. While he probably did have a bit more knowledge on these things than Sera did, which was why she often looked to him for advice, surely things would be different when he actually had to be the leader?

He thought about it while he and Chiaki were going around the town plaza, making some preparations for today's missions, before beginning to head over to the HQ to meet up with their teammates. On the way there, they ran into a certain Gothorita.

"Hi!" Bow said, happily waving at the two.

"Oh, hi Bow," Blitz responded, smiling at her. "What are you doing out here?"

"Um… I forgot," Bow replied, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "What about you guys? I'm guessing you're on your way to the HQ?"

"That's right!" Chiaki said, nodding his head.

"Yeah, that's where we're going," Blitz said, glancing around. "Sera and Azure might already be waiting for us there, so…"

"Oh, that's okay!" Bow responded, nodding her head. "We can talk later! Also, I just remembered what it was I was supposed to do, so I better go do that before I forget again!"

"Thanks, Bow," Blitz replied, smiling at her.

Bow ran off into town, and Blitz and Chiaki headed up to the HQ. As they went inside, they soon spotted Sera and Azure talking to each other, while other rescue teams were looking at the bulletin boards.

"Hi, girls," Blitz said, walking up to them.

"Oh, hey there, Blitz!" Sera responded, smiling at him.

"Feeling a little better today?" Blitz asked.

"I guess so," Sera replied, shrugging slightly.

"That's good," Blitz responded, nodding his head.

"What about you, Blitz?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly. "Are you ready for this?"

"Yeah," Blitz replied, glancing at the rescue team badge. "I have the badge and I know how to use it… Got some items that might be useful… We just need to pick out some missions to do."

They waited for some of the rescue teams to move away from the board, before walking up to it and seeing which missions were posted up on the bulletin board. As usual, there were requests from Pokémon needing to be rescued, needing a particular item to be retrieved, or having someone escort them to a certain point within a dungeon. It wasn't too difficult for Blitz to pick out a few missions.

"These look good," Blitz said, looking over the three missions he had picked out.

"Wow, that was fast," Azure commented.

"Uh, thanks," Blitz responded, showing the missions to his three teammates. "So, what do you guys think?"

"Yeah, they look good to me," Azure responded, nodding slightly.

"I agree!" Chiaki said, with his usual cheerful smile.

Sera just smiled and nodded her head.

"Okay, then…" Blitz said, taking a deep breath. "First, we must find an item on the tenth floor, and then we must rescue two Pokémon on floor twelve and fourteen."

"All right, let's go!" Azure said, grinning. "Another adventure, here we come!"

And so they headed over to Kala's room, and were quickly teleported to the mystery dungeon where their missions awaited.

* * *

Stella was looking into the chest where the four Axis Tower crystals that had been retrieved were currently being kept for safety, looking somewhat concerned as she closed the lid and locked the chest. She looked out the window, knowing that it was about time she told the Pokémon of Fenix Town how their current situation was linked to something that had happened a long time ago.

As she was standing there, thinking to herself, Bow returned from her errand.

"I'm back!" Bow said, cheerfully running up to her mother.

"Ah, welcome back," Stella responded, patting Bow on the head. "Did you do what I asked you to?"

"Uh-huh!" Bow replied, nodding her head.

"Good girl," Stella responded, giving a small smile. "Now that you're back, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?" Bow said, tilting her head slightly. "Is this about why you've been so worried lately?"

"Yes," Stella responded, nodding her head. "I will soon inform the other Pokémon in Fenix Town about what is going on, but I wanted to tell you first."

"Why?" Bow asked, looking up at her mother.

"Because of something that happened in the past," Stella explained, motioning for Bow to sit down. "Did I ever tell you about Cassandra?"

"Um… I don't remember," Bow responded, thinking for a moment. "Was she… one of the previous town oracles?"

"Yes, exactly," Stella replied, telekinetically picking up some old scrolls. "Listen closely, as the way the Pokémon of this town live their lives was in many ways a direct result of these events in the past."

* * *

Blitz didn't feel entirely comfortable leading the rescue team as they made their way deeper into the mystery dungeon, but he kept reminding himself it was only temporary. Having the knowledge and skills, being the rescue team leader wasn't at all very difficult for the young Shinx. However, if anything, the fact that he was good at it only made Blitz feel even more uncomfortable about it. After all, it could just be another sign that destiny could not be fought, and he just had to accept what was decided for him.

Once again Blitz had to take a deep breath, and remind himself that being a leader of a rescue team and being the leader of a Luxray pride were two very different things. He was just doing this to help Sera, and so he just had to try to not let it bother him.

"We're nearly at the tenth floor," Blitz said, glancing back at his teammates. "Remember to keep an eye out for a Persim Band once we get there!"

"Okay!" Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

"Understood," Azure replied, briefly turning around and firing a Bubble Beam at a wild Pokémon following behind them. "Heh, thought it could sneak up on us, huh? Not when I'm around!"

Sera wasn't sure why, but for some reason, she felt… lighter. It could've just been because she wasn't carrying the treasure bag full of items like she normally did on missions, but she knew there was more to it than that. When she had admitted to Blitz that she wasn't fit to be the leader of the rescue team, she had thought she would be feeling really bad about it. And it did feel bad to begin with, but now… Sera couldn't explain it, but she felt really relieved.

For a long time, Sera had wanted to prove that she wasn't just a little kid. She wanted to prove that she had the maturity, intelligence and strength to be the leader of a rescue team, but _who_ was it she was trying to prove this to? She wasn't sure if she knew the answer to that question anymore. She was confused about a lot of things now, but felt as if things would soon be much clearer.

 _"_ _It's like… I've opened the door leading to a whole new path, just waiting for me to explore it,"_ Sera thought, and couldn't help but smile. _"As I explore it, maybe I'll find my answers."_

Right now, Sera didn't feel that she needed to prove anything to anyone. She could just go on missions, explore and have fun with her friends. It would've been nice if things could just stay like that for a while, but she had to take Blitz's feelings into consideration. He didn't seem entirely comfortable with the whole leader thing, which she figured had to do with his own insecurities about what was expected of him.

Blitz had told her he was okay with being the leader of the rescue team until Sera was ready to take back the position, but was it really okay to let Blitz do this?

"There's the stairs!" Chiaki exclaimed.

"Yes, I see them," Blitz responded, briefly glancing around to see if there were any items nearby, before they all headed up the stairs to the next floor.

As they began looking around for the Persim Band, Chiaki couldn't help but quietly observe Blitz and Sera. It seemed as if things were getting better between the two of them, although it was a bit difficult to really tell how they were feeling. Chiaki wasn't sure if there was anything he could do, but he wanted to help more if he could. Chiaki wondered if his friendship with Elina had been anything like the friendship between Blitz and Sera, and felt a bit saddened by the fact that he couldn't remember how it really felt.

Sure, he had made many friends since meeting Blitz and Sera, and he felt he could talk to Elina about a lot of things, but he wondered if there might be something more to having a best friend.

"Guys, you hear that?" Azure asked, her ears twitching slightly. "I think I hear… snoring?"

As they moved over to the next room, they noticed the Persim Band they were looking for on the ground. However, there was a sleeping wild Pokémon right next to it, a pink sheep with white wool around its neck. The Flaaffy was sitting on the floor, with its back leaning against a wall.

"So… How are we going to get the item without waking up the Flaaffy?" Azure asked.

"I doubt it's possible to do without a Sneak Scarf," Blitz responded.

"Do we have one of those?" Chiaki asked, glancing at the treasure bag.

"No," Blitz replied, shaking his head. "However, it shouldn't be too hard to knock it out quickly for the four of us."

"Okay, what's the plan, then?" Azure asked, with a confident smirk.

"I'll sneak up to it first, since both it and I are electric types, and thus I resist its attacks," Blitz explained, looking over at Sera. "Sera, I want you to use your Helping Hand to increase the power of our attacks."

"Okay, Blitz!" Sera responded, nodding her head.

"Azure, you can try attacking from a distance with your Bubble Beam attack," Blitz said, looking over at Azure. "That way, you won't risk being affected by the effects of the Flaaffy's Static ability."

"No problem," Azure replied, grinning.

"And Chiaki, you can come with me," Blitz said. "Try grabbing the Persim Band while I try to get the Flaaffy's attention, and use Detect to dodge its attacks if necessary."

"Sure, I can do that!" Chiaki responded, nodding slightly.

Blitz began moving closer to the Flaaffy, Chiaki following closely behind. The two tried to move as quietly as they could, while Sera prepared to use her Helping Hand to make her teammates' attacks stronger. It didn't take long before they had gotten close enough that the Flaaffy woke up. Blitz quickly tackled the Flaaffy to the ground, while Chiaki went to pick up the Persim Band. The Flaaffy gave an angry bleat, and pushed Blitz aside. Sparks of electricity flew from the Flaaffy's wool as it prepared to attack, but Blitz was only concerned with keeping the electric sheep's attention on him.

Chiaki had managed to pick up the Persim Band while Blitz kept the wild Flaaffy distracted, and was soon ready to assist Blitz in fighting the sheep Pokémon. The fight was over in just a few moments, and they could put the Persim Band into the treasure bag and move on to the next floor.

"That was pretty awesome, Blitz!" Chiaki said, smiling.

"Oh, um… It really wasn't anything special," Blitz responded, glancing around. "Just basic stuff about how the Pokémon types work, and taking advantage of it… The kind of thing most Pokémon know, really."

"If you say so…" Chiaki replied, tilting his head slightly. "I still thought it was cool, though."

"Uh-huh…" Blitz responded. "We've still got two more missions in this dungeon, so let's keep going, shall we?"

The rescue team continued moving onto the next floor, and Blitz asked Azure to listen closely for the first of the two Pokémon they had to rescue. With Azure's help, it didn't take long before they knew which direction would likely lead them to the lost Pokémon fastest. Blitz quickly led his teammates through the maze to where the lost Pokémon was, and used the rescue team badge to teleport it out of the dungeon.

"Okay, one more to go," Blitz said, with a slight smile. "Let's go, guys!"

They kept on moving, Blitz leading the way as they moved towards the next floor.

"Hey, am I imagining it, or does it seem like Blitz is actually enjoying this a little bit?" Azure whispered to Chiaki.

"I think so too," Chiaki whispered back, glancing over his shoulder at Azure. "Things are going really well, after all."

"Sera seems to be feeling pretty good too, doesn't she?" Azure asked.

"Yeah, it seems that way," Chiaki replied, smiling. "Things are looking up for us, aren't they?"

"What are you two whispering about?" Sera asked, glancing at Chiaki and Azure behind her.

"Oh, it's nothing!" Azure responded, grinning.

They soon reached the next floor, and looked around as usual. Finding a Reviver Seed, only to realize their treasure bag was already full, they had to have a brief discussion about which item to swap it for. Taking the Reviver Seed while leaving a Pecha berry they had picked up earlier behind, they continued making their way through the maze. Blitz suddenly stopped near another room, listening closely.

"… Azure, do you hear that?" Blitz asked, looking over at his teammates.

"Yeah, it sounds like there's a lot of wild Pokémon just head," Azure responded.

"I don't think they've noticed us yet, so let's take a few moments to prepare before going in there," Blitz said, rubbing his paws against the ground and charging up some electricity.

"Oh, you mean use the attacks we know to increase our strength?" Sera asked, smiling and nodding her head. "Okay, I understand!"

While Blitz continued charging electricity to increase his defense from special attacks and increase the strength of his own electric attacks, Sera started using her Helping Hand to power up her three teammates. Chiaki closed his eyes and took a deep breath, meditating for a moment to increase his attack power. Azure simply just curled up into a ball in order to increase her defense.

Once they were all ready, they headed into the room to deal with the wild Pokémon in there. After the battle, one of the wild Pokémon dropped a small red treasure chest-shaped box upon being knocked out by Azure's Slam attack.

"We should take this back to town and have Bijou open it for us," Blitz said, looking through the treasure bag to figure out if there were any items they could use up or leave behind in order to make room for it.

"I hope there's something good in there!" Azure commented, grinning.

"You know, the treasure boxes are smaller than I expected," Chiaki said, tilting his head slightly. "Then again, I suppose if they were much bigger, we wouldn't be able to fit them in the bag…"

Once Blitz had made room for it and put the treasure box into the bag, they could keep moving on to the next floor and begin looking for the second Pokémon they had to rescue in order to finish their last mission for the day.

* * *

As she finished telling the story, Stella gave Bow some time to let it all sink in. There was a lot to take in, and understanding how it was all connected. Bow stared with wide eyes up at her mother, and seemed to be trying her best to remember everything and properly put all the pieces together.

"So… That's why so many buildings in this town are made of stone..." Bow said, tapping her hand against the side of her chin.

"Yes, indeed," Stella responded, nodding her head. "Like I said before, a lot of the things that happened back then had a major impact on how we live our lives in this town today."

"Cassandra was really awesome," Bow said, looking up at her mother. "It's almost a little hard to believe that I'm related to her."

"What do you mean by that?" Stella asked.

"I'm such a scatterbrain," Bow responded, sighing. "There's no way someone as forgetful as me would ever make a good town oracle."

"Everyone has their flaws, Bow," Stella replied, smiling at her daughter. "Just because you're a little forgetful, it doesn't mean you won't be a good town oracle."

"Yes, it does!" Bow responded. "I mean, how am I supposed to help Pokémon if I can't even remember my own visions? And writing things down doesn't help, because I'll just forget I did so or where I left my notes!"

"I understand that must be frustrating, dear," Stella replied, patting Bow's shoulder.

"No, you don't understand what it's like…" Bow said, sighing. "I really _do_ try not to lose my focus, and remember what I'm told and what I've seen, but… I'm hopeless, really."

"Bow, you are far from hopeless," Stella responded. "In fact, I think you've been getting better at keeping your focus on things lately."

"You really think so?" Bow asked, looking up at Stella. "Or are you just saying that because you're my mom?"

"I really do mean it," Stella replied, embracing her daughter. "Sure, you tend to get distracted and forget what is currently on your mind at times, but when it's something important, you don't lose track of it."

"What do you mean?" Bow inquired, tilting her head slightly.

"You were there to lend Blitz an ear when he needed someone to talk to, right?" Stella asked, smiling at Bow. "And because you were able to understand the way he felt, you showed him that he was not as alone as he thought he was."

"Huh… I guess so," Bow responded, thinking about it for a moment. "We talked about our feelings about the future, and our destinies…"

"Exactly," Stella replied, nodding her head. "You were able to reassure the young Shinx and show him that he was not the only one with concerns about the future. I'd say that shows you have potential to be a great town oracle someday."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Bow said, blushing slightly.

"Trust me, you have what it takes," Stella responded. "Even if there are some things that are difficult for you now, if you just keep working to overcome them a little by little, I'm certain you'll come far."

"Sounds like it might take a while, though," Bow commented.

"And that's perfectly fine," Stella replied, smiling. "Pokémon mature at different rates, after all."

"I guess so," Bow responded, nodding her head slightly. "Thanks."

"Just believe in yourself," Stella said, patting Bow's shoulder. "You're stronger than you think."

"Okay, I'll keep trying," Bow replied, tilting her head. "So, um… About Cassandra, and the other stuff… I have a few questions."

"Go ahead, ask anything you'd like to know," Stella responded.

* * *

After finishing their last mission for the day, Blitz and his teammates returned to the rescue team HQ and received their rewards from the missions. With not enough space in the treasure bag for it all, most of it ended up being sent to their item storage box at Lionel's item warehouse. Then it was time for Azure to go help her mother at the café, while Sera had to get home in time for dinner. After saying good-bye to the girls, Blitz and Chiaki began heading home as well.

"Wow, I'm so impressed with how you handled those missions today!" Chiaki said, smiling at Blitz. "You really _do_ have natural talent as a leader!"

"Uh… Chiaki, please don't say things like that," Blitz responded, looking rather uncomfortable and staring down at the ground.

"Oh, sorry," Chiaki replied, remembering how Blitz felt about it. "So, what are we doing tomorrow? Aside from more missions, I guess."

"Well, we need to sort through our items, so we have what we need and still have room for more useful items we might find in dungeons," Blitz responded. "Also, we need to have Bijou open that treasure box we found."

"Oh, that's right!" Chiaki said, nodding his head. "What do you think is inside that treasure box?"

"I don't know," Blitz replied, shrugging slightly. "It might be something useful, but we'll see what it is once Bijou has opened it for us."

"I can't wait!" Chiaki commented, grinning.

The two Pokémon soon returned to their home, and went to sleep. New adventures would await them tomorrow, but for now it was just a regular night.

…

At least, for the two of them it was.

* * *

Bow was still awake, staring up at the starry sky. She attempted to see if the stars would hold any answers about the future, while also thinking about what she had been told before about the past. She was wondering if there was a chance that history might repeat itself, even if Cassandra and the other Pokémon who lived during that time had taken some precautions to prevent that. Still, if they had really wanted to prevent that, they could've told Pandora to better plan out something in case the magic spell she had used eventually wore off or was broken.

At the very least, Pandora had made sure that she would have a successor before moving on to the next world, and that everything she had learned about magic was written down, including the instructions for the spell she had used to seal away their enemy.

"She may have been good with magic, but I don't think she can possibly have thought things through," Bow whispered to herself, still looking up at the starry sky. "She should've asked Cassandra and the others to help her think of something…"

Bow glanced over at her mother, who was currently asleep.

"I should ask mom to include something about that in her next letter for Samara," Bow commented, before turning her gaze back to the stars. "Just so she won't make the same mistake."

Bow yawned and laid down to sleep, hoping she would remember to bring this up to her mother tomorrow. However, a few minutes after falling asleep, Bow suddenly got up and quietly made her way outside. Slowly, but surely, she got further away from the stone building. Suddenly, she stopped and looked around at her surroundings, with a confused look on her face.

"Huh? When did I get out here?" Bow wondered, tilting her head slightly. "Did I go here in my sleep?"

Bow looked around, but there wasn't much to see. It was dark outside, and the area was eerily quiet.

"… I should hurry back home," Bow muttered, and turned around.

After taking a few steps back in the direction she came from, she suddenly felt something wrapping itself around her leg. She looked down to see what appeared to be a thin shadowy tentacle coming out of the ground.

"What's that?" Bow said, grabbing onto her leg and trying to pull it out of the tentacles' hold.

As she struggled to free herself, an eerie laugh began echoing through the area.

"Let me go!" Bow shouted, feeling a bit panicked and trying to pull harder. However, more tentacles soon emerged from the ground, and before Bow could scream for help, one of them had wrapped around her head and covered her mouth.

"I finally caught you…" a voice from behind Bow said, and the Gothorita was able to turn her head slightly to see a Sigilyph hovering behind her. "Hello there, Bow. I'm guessing you've recently learned who I _really_ am?"

Bow stood there frozen in terror, wondering just what was going to happen to her now…

* * *

**End of Chapter 30**


	31. You... did it because you were bored?

* * *

A new day had begun, and the shop owners and rescue teams of Fenix Town had plenty of work to do as usual. It was looking to be a somewhat cloudy day, but still fairly bright and sunny. Blitz was currently talking to Lionel over at the item warehouse, trying to sort out the items in the treasure bag so they would have the necessary items for exploring, while also having enough space for more items they might come across while exploring the dungeon.

While waiting for Blitz to finish organizing the items, his teammates were talking amongst themselves about the weather.

"So, your sister says it'll be even cloudier tomorrow?" Azure asked.

"Uh-huh," Sera said, nodding her head. "And she also said there's a chance it might rain the day after."

"Huh, interesting," Azure responded, tilting her head slightly. "Does Amethyst usually get these weather predictions right?"

"Yeah, most of the time," Sera replied.

"Wow, that's really cool!" Chiaki commented.

"All right, I think that should do it…" Blitz said, closing the lid on the treasure bag. "Now, let's go see Bijou to get that treasure box we found yesterday opened!"

"Okay!" Blitz's teammates responded in unison.

"Don't worry; your items are safe with me!" Lionel said, with a determined smile. "Just leave it to me!"

"I like your attitude," Azure commented, looking somewhat amused. "But you _do_ know that the rescue teams are the ones going out on the exciting adventures, right?"

"You have your definition of "exciting", and I have mine," Lionel responded, shrugging slightly.

"Right," Azure replied, waving good-bye to Lionel as she followed her teammates.

Blitz and the others went up to the locksmith stall, where Bijou the Sableye was currently polishing one of her gemstone eyes. Once she noticed that she had customers approaching her booth, she put away the rag and smiled at the rescue team.

"Ah, hello there," Bijou greeted them. "Do you have a treasure box that you need opened?"

"Yes, we do," Blitz responded, taking out the red treasure box they had picked up in a mystery dungeon yesterday and placing it on the booth. "Here it is. We need to pay 150 coins for you to open it, right?"

"Ooh, what a cute box you have there!" Bijou exclaimed, her gemstone eyes literally sparkling as she admired it. "And yes, that is right. Want me to open it?"

"Yes, please," Blitz replied, handing over the coins.

"Ah, thank you for the shiny coins," Bijou responded, grinning as she pulled out her lockpicking tool. "All right, here I go!"

With much glee, she began picking the lock on the treasure box while giggling maniacally for no apparent reason. Chiaki couldn't help but stare at her, since he had never actually seen her open a treasure box before. At least it seemed as if she really enjoyed her job, and didn't care if she got any strange looks from onlookers. After a few moments, they could clearly hear a click as the treasure box was unlocked.

"Ooh, here's the best part!" Bijou said, giggling gleefully as she opened up the treasure box and looked at its contents. "Here you go! It's… a Vile Seed!"

"Oh, thanks," Blitz responded, taking the seed from Bijou and putting it in the treasure bag.

"Is that it?" Azure commented, crossing her arms. "I mean, a Vile Seed is good and all, but… I hoped it'd be something you usually don't find lying around in dungeons."

"Come back when you have more treasure boxes!" Bijou said, grinning. "I'll be waiting!"

After finishing up the rest of their preparations for the day, Blitz and his teammates began heading over to the rescue team HQ. However, when they got there, they noticed that several of the rescue teams were standing around discussing something.

"What's going on?" Blitz asked, walking up to the gathered rescue teams.

"Oh, you see, Stella stopped by her earlier," Regina the Servine responded. "Apparently Bow has gone missing."

"What?" Blitz replied, looking rather shocked at this. "What do you mean she's missing?"

"Well, apparently she was nowhere to be found this morning," Regina explained, looking rather concerned. "Stella is really worried about her… Of course, we're worried too, so we're going to try to find her."

"I see," Blitz responded, nodding his head and narrowing his eyes slightly. "What's the plan so far?"

"Well, so far we're basically just going to go to different mystery dungeons nearby to search for her," Mirage the Zoroark said. "We figured she can't have gotten too far away from the town."

"So, basically, your big plan is just look around and hope you find her?" Azure asked.

"I know, it doesn't sound like the best of plans," Sting the Beedrill responded. "But we have to try something."

"Can't Stella use her powers to try to find out where Bow went?" Chiaki suggested.

"I don't think she can really focus in a time like this," Floretta the Bellossom responded, tilting her head slightly. "Maybe once she's calmed down a bit?"

"That could take a while, though," Calder the Wartortle commented, looking over at Blitz and his teammates. "And I doubt you guys have any better ideas?"

"… Actually, I may have something," Blitz said, turning to his teammates. "Guys, we need to find Frederick and Elina!"

"Huh?" Sera replied, tilting her head slightly.

"I'll explain later!" Blitz responded, seeming somewhat impatient. "Come on, let's go!"

"Okay, I guess," Sera replied, shrugging slightly.

"I guess he thinks they can help somehow?" Chiaki commented, looking a bit confused.

"I don't know what he has in mind, but I'm totally on board with it!" Azure said, grinning.

The other rescue teams watched Blitz and his teammates hurry out of the room, just as curious as to what Blitz had in mind as his teammates.

"… Well, that was strange," Calder commented.

"I don't know," Mirage said, thinking for a moment. "Did you see the look on Blitz's face?"

"Yeah," Megara responded, nodding her head. "He looked really serious."

"So, you think he might really have a plan of some sort?" Regina asked.

"I'll believe that when I see it," Calder said, crossing his arms.

"I wouldn't underestimate them," Sting buzzed. "Remember, that rescue team has brought back four of the missing crystals from Axis Tower so far!"

"Weren't they just lucky?" Calder responded, shrugging slightly.

"Good luck… bad luck…" Arbolith said, swaying back and forth a bit. "But there are still plenty of trees in the forest… and also plenty of rocks… until some Larvitar come along and eat them."

"… I don't even know how to respond to that," Calder replied, staring blankly at his Sudowoodo teammate.

"The mushroom suggests we resume discussing our own plan for finding the missing Gothorita known as Bow," Cordyceps said, raising a claw.

"Ah, yes," Sting buzzed, looking around. "So, which rescue team should we send where?"

* * *

As she woke up, the first thing Bow noticed was that everything looked darker than usual. As she became more aware of her surroundings, she realized she was trapped inside a dark force field of sorts. She tried using her psychic powers to free herself, but it seemed her powers did not work while trapped inside this dark bubble. Perhaps it was just as well, as a look down revealed that the bubble seemed to be floating in mid-air and that it would probably be a long way down. So, Bow tried instead to figure out exactly where she was.

"Hmm… It looks like I'm at the top of a hill," Bow said, tilting her head. "But which hill is this?"

"Oh, you're finally awake!" a voice called out, and Bow turned to see a certain Sigilyph looking at her. "Good morning, Bow! Sleep well?"

"You!" Bow shouted, pointing at the Sigilyph. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Aw, is that any way of greeting someone?" the Sigilyph responded, hovering around the bubble Bow was trapped in. "I even made sure that oxygen could get inside the force field so you wouldn't suffocate in there! Wasn't that nice of me?"

"W-What do you want from me?" Bow asked, keeping her eyes on the Sigilyph as he slowly flew around in circles around the bubble. "Are you going to cast an evil curse on me, or something?"

"Hmm… That's not a bad idea," the Sigilyph replied, snickering. "But, luckily for you, I have no such plans for you."

"Then why'd you capture me?" Bow asked again.

"I was bored," the Sigilyph responded. "I figured that if I captured you, I could lure in some rescue teams that I could have some fun with!"

"You… did it because you were _bored?_ " Bow asked, staring at the Sigilyph in disbelief.

"Yes, I did!" the Sigilyph replied, chuckling. "Also, I wanted revenge on all the Pokémon who live here. So, I stole the crystals from Axis Tower, so that they would all disappear!"

"But… you'll disappear too!" Bow exclaimed.

"I'm not so sure about that," the Sigilyph responded, snickering. "But if I do disappear, I don't really care as long as I take _all the other Pokémon on this continent into oblivion with me!_ "

The Sigilyph began laughing maniacally, while Bow just watched in horror. This Pokémon really was insane.

"Somebody… rescue me…" Bow whispered, shivering in fright.

Bow hoped that a rescue team would come for her soon, but then again, this was also what the Sigilyph was hoping for. Just what kind of "fun" was he planning on having with whichever team that would eventually come to her rescue? It seemed all she could do for now was to wait and see what would happen…

* * *

After heading over to the café and telling Frederick to help them out, Blitz and his teammates were now looking for Elina. Since they didn't know where to find her, this would likely be a bit more difficult. However, since Chiaki was usually involved whenever she showed up, Blitz was hoping that Elina would appear upon hearing the Mienfoo call out her name.

"Thanks for inviting me along, guys," Frederick said, following the others. "Although, I'm not entirely sure if you even need my help for this…"

"Your sense of smell is stronger than mine," Blitz responded. "While I probably _could've_ done this myself, I have a feeling you'll do a better job under these conditions."

"Oh, you really think so?" Frederick replied, smiling. "In that case, I'll do my best!"

"Any sign of Elina yet?" Azure asked, looking around.

"I don't see her," Sera replied, looking over at Chiaki. "Try calling out to her again!"

"Okay!" Chiaki responded, nodding his head. "Elina! Elina, are you here?"

They kept searching, until Chiaki suddenly heard a voice.

_"_ _You were looking for me?"_

Chiaki turned around, noticing a certain Elgyem behind him.

"Oh, there you are, Elina!" Chiaki exclaimed, smiling at the Elgyem.

 _"_ _Hi there, Chiaki,"_ Elina responded via telepathy, happily waving at Chiaki.

"… Elina, you can talk now?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

 _"_ _Well, sort of,"_ Elina replied, shrugging slightly. _"I've been taking lessons from Kala in order to learn how to communicate via telepathy."_

"Really? That's great!" Chiaki said, happily hugging Elina. "You can finally talk to me!"

 _"_ _Yes… I have wanted to be able to speak to you for some time now, Chiaki,"_ Elina responded, returning the hug.

"What's going on?" Frederick asked, seeming confused.

"I think Chiaki and Elina are in telepathic contact with each other," Blitz said.

"Oh? You guys can't hear her?" Chiaki asked, looking over at his teammates.

 _"_ _I'm afraid I can't form a telepathic link with more than one Pokémon at a time,"_ Elina responded, breaking off from the hug.

"Oh… I see," Chiaki replied, nodding his head slightly.

 _"_ _I should be able to communicate with multiple Pokémon at a time once I have had more training,"_ Elina said. _"But for now, this is the best I can do."_

"I understand," Chiaki responded, smiling at Elina. "So, I guess I should tell the others what you're saying if they want to know, then?"

 _"_ _Yes, you should do that,"_ Elina replied, tilting her head slightly. _"Anyways… Was there any particular reason why you were looking for me?"_

"Oh, right!" Chiaki said, turning to Blitz. "She wants to know what we needed her help for."

"Thank you," Blitz responded, nodding to Chiaki and taking a step forward. "Elina, can you use your psychic powers to help us find Bow, who has gone missing?"

 _"_ _Huh?"_ Elina replied, thinking for a moment. _"Well… I was able to use my psychic power to track down Chiaki, leading me to this town. So, I suppose I should be able to use my power to find your missing friend."_

"Good," Blitz responded, with a determined look in his eyes. "Let's go, guys!"

As they made their way over to Stella's house to begin the search, Sera couldn't help but think about how Blitz was acting very different from his usual timid self. She figured it was because of how Bow had been able to relate to how he felt about destiny to some extent, and the possibility that something may have happened to her had caused Blitz's instincts to take over so he could find her as soon as possible.

Outside Stella's house, Frederick started investigating by sniffing the ground. It didn't take long for him to pick up on Bow's scent, and lead the group in the direction she had most recently walked in. Eventually, he stopped.

"Hmm… I followed the scent of psychic energy and absent-mindedness, but the trail seems to end here," Frederick commented.

"… How can you smell either of those?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Well, it's not that much different from being able to smell fear, is it?" Frederick replied.

"Um… I guess?" Sera responded, still seeming a bit confused.

"Sorry I couldn't do more to help find Bow…" Frederick said, looking over at Blitz.

"It's okay, you did well," Blitz responded, before turning to Elina. "Elina, it's your turn."

Elina nodded her head, and walked up to the spot where Frederick had lost the trail. She touched the spot with her hand, and began focusing her psychic energies. Since the Pokémon they were trying to find was also a psychic type, it would probably be a bit easier for Elina to track her down. After a few moments, Elina managed to pick up on Bow's psychic signature, but she also picked up on something else... something which sent a chill down her spine.

"Elina, are you okay?" Chiaki asked, noticing that she seemed a bit shaken.

 _"_ _Y-Yes… I'm fine,"_ Elina responded via telepathy, nodding her head slightly. _"It seems Bow has been taken somewhere…"_

"Taken somewhere?" Chiaki replied, partially repeating it so that his teammates could get an idea of what was going on. "What do you mean?"

 _"_ _In addition to Bow's psychic signature, I can also feel a sinister presence,"_ Elina explained via telepathy. _"I believe this Pokémon has likely abducted Bow."_

"She's been abducted?" Chiaki exclaimed. "We have to rescue her right away!"

"How far away do you think they went?" Azure asked.

 _"_ _I'm not sure…"_ Elina responded, shaking her head slightly. _"Travelling by foot would probably take too long."_

"She says she isn't sure, but that travelling by foot would take too long," Chiaki repeated to the others.

"Well, what do we do, then?" Sera asked, looking concerned.

 _"_ _Hmm… I might be able to teleport to her location, as long as I keep her psychic signature in mind,"_ Elina explained to Chiaki. _"However, I've never tried teleporting this many Pokémon before, nor have I ever tried teleporting such a long distance."_

"She says she might be able to teleport us," Chiaki said to the others. "But she's not sure if she can pull it off."

"You have to try, Elina," Blitz responded, placing a paw on her shoulder.

"I'm sure you can do it!" Azure said, grinning. "Just give it your best shot!"

"Yeah, you can do it, Elina!" Sera added.

"… What they said!" Frederick responded, nodding his head slightly.

"We all believe in you, Elina!" Chiaki said, smiling.

 _"_ _Oh, I… t-thanks…"_ Elina responded, blushing slightly. _"All right, I'll try my best!"_

Elina took a deep breath while the other five Pokémon gathered closer to her. She began focusing her psychic power, trying to gather all her energy so she could teleport to where Bow was. A psychic aura began surrounding Elina, and slowly began to expand. However, as it kept growing, it became more and more difficult for Elina to keep it going.

"Don't give up!" Chiaki shouted, smiling at Elina. "You can do this!"

The psychic field kept growing, and began to envelop the other five Pokémon present. In a bright flash, the six Pokémon were teleported to a different area.

"Elina, you did it!" Chiaki said, hugging the Elgyem.

 _"_ _I… I did?"_ Elina asked, leaning against Chiaki.

"Well, you managed to teleport us all _somewhere_ , at least," Azure replied, looking around. "Anybody know where this is?"

Blitz, Sera, Chiaki and Azure began looking around at their surroundings, while Frederick simply sniffed around to see if he could get an idea of what kind of area they were in from that. There were two things that stood out in particular, a nearby hill and a Kangaskhan rock close by.

"There's an entrance to a mystery dungeon here," Blitz said, thinking for a moment. "Judging from the looks of it, this is probably Turmoil Hill."

"I don't see Bow anywhere, though," Chiaki commented, tilting his head slightly.

 _"_ _I can feel it…"_ Elina communicated to Chiaki via telepathy. _"Bow is definitely here…"_

"Are you okay, Elina?" Chiaki asked, looking a bit concerned. "You look really tired."

 _"_ _It took a lot of energy for me to teleport you all here…"_ Elina replied, holding onto Chiaki for support. _"Don't worry… I'll be fine…"_

"If you say so…" Chiaki responded, glancing up at the hill. "So, Bow is on top of that, isn't she?"

 _"_ _Yes, she is,"_ Elina replied, nodding her head slightly. _"However… There is also another presence… It might be dangerous to go…"_

"Elina says that Bow is up there, but there's someone else there too," Chiaki said to the others, letting them know what Elina had told him. "She said it might be dangerous to go up there."

"I assume that "someone else" is the Pokémon who kidnapped her?" Azure asked.

"Most likely…" Sera commented, looking over at Blitz. "What should we do?"

"Well, first we need to make sure we have everything we need," Blitz responded, looking up at the hill with determination in his eyes. "Once we're ready, we're going to rescue Bow."

"You sure are serious today," Azure commented, grinning. "I kind of like that!"

Blitz, Sera, Azure and Frederick went over to the Kangaskhan rock to discuss which items to bring. Having the necessary healing items were definitely the first priority, although Frederick seemed more concerned about the food, reasoning that they couldn't fight on an empty stomach.

 _"_ _Chiaki… I… I don't want you go…"_ Elina said to Chiaki via telepathy, while clinging to his arm.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Chiaki asked.

 _"_ _I don't want you to put yourself in danger…"_ Elina replied, looking away.

"But, my teammates are going," Chiaki said, looking over at his teammates who were still making their preparations. "And Bow is one of my friends too, so I want to help save her!"

 _"_ _Are you sure about this…?"_ Elina asked, looking into Chiaki's eyes.

"Of course I am," Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

 _"_ _I see…"_ Elina replied, looking down.

"You're really worried about me, aren't you?" Chiaki asked, smiling and pulling Elina into another hug. "It's okay. My friends and I will rescue Bow, and then we'll be back!"

 _"_ _I… I want to help too,"_ Elina responded, returning the hug. _"But… I'm scared, and… I used up most of my power to teleport everyone here… I'm sorry…"_

"Don't worry, you don't have to come with us if you don't want to," Chiaki replied, giving Elina a supportive pat on the shoulder. "Maybe there's another way you can help?"

Elina thought about it for a few moments, before she realized something.

 _"_ _You can use the rescue team badge to send me back to town, right?"_ Elina asked. _"I could go find some back-up for you guys."_

Chiaki nodded his head, and walked over to the others with Elina.

"Since Elina doesn't have enough energy left to fight, she wants to go back to town and find more help," Chiaki explained to the other four Pokémon.

"Good idea," Blitz replied, nodding his head. "I don't know what kind of opponent awaits us, but chances are we might need some extra help."

 _"_ _All right, I wish you and your friends good luck, Chiaki,"_ Elina communicated to Chiaki via telepathy. _"I'll do my best to help you as well."_

"Okay, good luck to you too!" Chiaki responded, smiling at Elina.

Blitz took out the rescue team badge, and held it in front of Elina. Soon, the badge's magical power sent Elina back to town in a flash of golden light.

"There," Blitz said, putting the badge back onto the treasure bag. "Okay, is everyone ready?"

"I'm _always_ ready for adventure!" Azure responded, smirking.

"I'm ready!" Sera replied, nodding her head.

"Um… I guess I'm ready," Frederick said, tilting his head slightly. "How much food did we bring again?"

"So, we're all ready to go, then?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly. "But, wait… There are five of us here… Don't the rules say that rescue teams should only go into dungeons in groups of four?"

"Screw the rules, we need to save Bow!" Azure responded.

"… What she said," Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together. "Everyone, let's go!"

Blitz stepped inside the dungeon, his teammates following closely behind. This mystery dungeon was at about twenty floors, if Blitz recalled correctly. He hoped they could get through the dungeon quickly, and not use up too many of the healing items they had brought in the process. After all, a difficult fight likely awaited them once they got out of the mystery dungeon, and if they still had a decent amount of healing items left, then they probably had a chance.

Hopefully, it would be enough to save Bow, or at least to handle the situation until help arrived.

 _"_ _I don't know what awaits us at the end of this dungeon,"_ Blitz thought to himself. _"But… I will do whatever I can to save you, Bow."_

* * *

As she was sent back to the entrance of the town, Elina couldn't help but worry about what was going to happen. She was still worn out, but still moved as quickly as she could into town to search for help. She tried to reassure herself that there was nothing to worry about, but she knew there was really no telling what might happen.

 _"_ _There's no way either of them would realize…"_ Elina thought to herself. _"But… could the encounter change something inside Chiaki? After all… back when Chiaki and I met here in town, something really strange happened…"_

* * *

**End of Chapter 31**


	32. Guys, he's not an ordinary Sigilyph!

* * *

Bow just sat there inside the force field that she had been trapped in; as there was not much else she could do until a rescue team arrived. Her powers wouldn't work as long as she was inside this dark bubble, and she couldn't think of any other ways she could escape. At least the one keeping her trapped here hadn't done anything else to her, but she was still worried about what he planned to do to the Pokémon of whichever rescue team found her first.

Judging from what her mother had told her, he was capable of causing a lot of destruction at his worst…

"What's the matter, Bow?" asked the Sigilyph, startling Bow by suddenly appearing in front of her. "Are you bored?"

Bow remained quiet, looking away from the Sigilyph.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head," the Sigilyph said, snickering a little. "I have a feeling that a rescue team is on its way, and the suspense is _killing_ me all over again!"

"… Which rescue team…?" Bow muttered, glancing at the Sigilyph.

"Oh, I don't know," the Sigilyph responded, hovering in circles around the bubble. "But they don't seem all that tough. Still, I can probably have some fun with them!"

"What are you planning on doing?" Bow asked.

"I haven't decided on anything in particular yet," the Sigilyph replied. "I was thinking I'd just improvise a bit based on what kind of Pokémon show up."

"… Why… Why are you doing this?" Bow whispered.

"What was that?" the Sigilyph asked, moving closer to Bow. "Why am I doing this? Is that what you asked?"

"You said you wanted revenge, right?" Bow responded, glaring at the Sigilyph. "But the ones who defeated you are long gone!"

"Well, I suppose I'll admit it would've been more satisfying if my sister and those foolish Pokémon she chose to protect were still around," the Sigilyph replied, giggling a little. "Ah, I would've _loved_ to see the looks on their faces when their home was swallowed up by the distortion!"

Bow wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"Still, even if I won't have _that_ pleasure, I'll finish what I started anyways," the Sigilyph continued. "Plus, I just enjoy messing with the other Pokémon."

"I figured as much," Bow responded, sighing.

"Don't you worry, darling, you only need to wait a little longer," the Sigilyph said. "Soon, a rescue team will be here… and then things should be getting more interesting…"

* * *

Blitz and his teammates were making their way through the mystery dungeon, and had made it to the seventh floor. There were still many floors to go, though, before they could reach the top of Turmoil Hill and rescue Bow. Blitz hoped to make it through the dungeon as quickly as possible, and that they wouldn't have to use too many of their healing items. Even though he didn't know what they would have to fight in order to save Bow, he was already trying to think of a few battle strategies. The Vile Seed they had gotten earlier that day could prove to be useful.

If they used that to lower their opponent's defenses, while Sera used her Helping Hand to increase the power of her teammates' attacks… Of course, in order for that to work, the Vile Seed would have to hit its intended target. Maybe Chiaki could use his Swift attack to launch the seed at the enemy; the same way he used it two days ago back at Mt. Caldera to give a Silver Spike to Inferno so he could dig the crystal out?

Elina had gone back to town to find some more help, which they would likely need if Elina's frightened reaction to the presence she had felt earlier was any indication. Hopefully they would be able to fight off the enemy at least until help arrived.

"I'm hungry," Frederick commented, doing his best to keep up.

"Dude, we're not even halfway through the dungeon," Azure responded, glancing at the Deino behind her.

"So? I'm still hungry," Frederick replied, sighing.

"It's okay, he can have one of the apples," Blitz said, opening the treasure bag. "That way, we'll also have more room for other items, in case we find something useful lying around."

"Thank you, Blitz!" Frederick responded, grinning.

Blitz took an apple out from the treasure bag and gave it to Frederick. The Deino promptly ate it up in a single bite.

"Shouldn't you chew your food?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Oh, um… I forgot," Frederick responded, smiling sheepishly.

"I've told you that you shouldn't eat too fast, buddy," Azure commented.

"Guys, focus," Blitz said, pointing a paw forward. "The stairs to the next floor are just ahead."

"He's right," Sera commented, nodding her head slightly. "We can't keep Bow waiting!"

Blitz and the others headed up the stairs, and found themselves on the next floor. A few wild Pokémon awaited them on the next floor, two gray pig-like Pokémon bouncing on spring-like tails while keeping a pink pearl balanced on their head. The two Spoink fired multicolored beams of psychic energy from the pearls on their heads, but Frederick quickly defeated them with a couple of Bite attacks.

Azure also easily took down a wild Phanpy with a Bubble Beam attack, before the five of them moved on to further explore the floor.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Fenix Town, Elina had alerted Stella and Hercules to the whereabouts of Bow and Sera's rescue team, and the three of them were now on their way to the rescue team HQ. Upon getting the news, Hercules had asked Lotus and the other Pokémon working at the dojo to keep things going as usual while he went out to help with the rescue mission.

"Thanks for coming along, Hercules," Stella said, glancing at the Heracross while they were heading towards the HQ.

"Well, it's only natural to want to help, isn't it?" Hercules responded. "Besides, Blitz and his friends might get into trouble too, so I…"

"I understand," Stella replied, nodding her head slightly.

Elina glanced at the two older Pokémon, thinking about how both of them wanted to protect someone important to them. This made Elina wonder if her father was doing okay, and she figured he was probably worried about her. It was probably going to be such a relief for him once this whole situation was sorted out, and everything could return to normal. However, Elina herself wasn't entirely sure if she could feel the same way when it was all over…

The three of them quickly headed inside the HQ, and entered Kala's room. Stella quickly ran up to the Abra and started lightly shaking her by the shoulder.

"Kala, wake up!" Stella exclaimed. "We need to get to Turmoil Hill right away!"

"I didn't even touch your rock collection…" Kala muttered, before sleepily opening her eyes and looking up at Stella. "Oh… Hi there. You need anything?"

"Yes, you need to teleport me and Hercules to Turmoil Hill!" Stella responded.

"Oh, is that where Bow is?" Kala asked, sitting up. "I heard from the other rescue teams that something had happened…"

Kala focused her energy, and in a green flash of light, teleported Stella and Hercules out of the room. Kala then yawned and stretched, before turning to Elina.

"Oh, hi Elina," Kala said, rubbing her eyes. "Anything else I can help with while I'm at this…?"

* * *

Blitz and his teammates continued making their way through the mystery dungeon, now having reached the fifteenth floor. The group took a short break to catch their break, having been moving quickly through the mazes. A few healing items had been consumed, but they still had plenty left.

"I hope we have enough," Blitz said, looking over their inventory. "There are still five more floors, and we don't know what awaits us at the top."

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Azure commented, grinning.

"Are you really sure about that?" Sera asked, one of her ears drooping down slightly. "Like Blitz said, we don't know what to expect."

"Well, when all of us are working together, surely we can handle anything?" Azure replied, shrugging slightly.

"Yeah, I feel that way too!" Chiaki exclaimed, nodding his head and smiling. "No matter how difficult the challenge, we can get through it together!"

"Now, that's what I like to hear!" Azure responded, grinning.

"Apples are tasty…" Frederick muttered, happily eating another apple.

 _"…_ _Will we really be okay?"_ Blitz thought to himself, rubbing his forelegs together.

"Nervous?" Sera asked, looking over at Blitz.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

"Well… They do have a point, don't they?" Sera asked, briefly glancing at the other three Pokémon.

"Yes, we do need to work together," Blitz replied, taking a deep breath. "I just hope at least one of the possible plans I came up with will allow us to defeat the bad guy and save Bow, or at the very least, stall for time until help arrives."

"Since you came up with it, I'm sure it'll work!" Sera responded, smiling at Blitz.

"Oh, um… Thanks," Blitz replied, blushing slightly. "… So, you ready to get going again?"

"Yeah, I'm ready!" Sera responded, nodding her head.

"What about the rest of you?" Blitz asked, looking over at the others.

"I'm ready!" Chiaki replied, raising his paw.

"Do you even _need_ to ask?" Azure responded, grinning. "Of course I'm ready!"

"Uh… What are we ready for?" Frederick asked, with a bit of apple juice dripping from his chin.

"He's asking if we're ready to keep going," Azure responded.

"Oh, right!" Frederick replied, nodding his head. "Yeah, sure, I'm ready."

"Okay, everyone," Blitz said, narrowing his eyes. "Let's not waste any more time. We need to get through these last few floors in order to reach Bow, so let's keep moving!"

* * *

The last five floors seemed to go by so fast, and as they approached the last set of stairs, Blitz mentally counted through the items in their treasure bag. He could feel his heart beating faster as he got closer and closer to the stairs, but he managed to remain calm. Blitz took a deep breath, and walked up the stairs. As he and his teammates reached the top of Turmoil Hill, they immediately began looking around for Bow.

"Bow, where are you…?" Blitz muttered, looking around.

"Up here!"

Blitz immediately looked up to where the voice came from, and saw Bow trapped inside the floating dark bubble.

"Whoa, what's that?" Azure asked.

"What's what?" Frederick inquired, tilting his head. "What's going on?"

"Finally, the fun can begin!" said a certain Sigilyph, laughing ominously as he suddenly appeared above the five Pokémon on the ground.

"What? Are you…" Chiaki muttered, and a strange chill went down his spine upon seeing the Sigilyph.

"So, you're the one who captured Bow," Blitz said, looking up at the Sigilyph with a cold stare.

"And…?" the Sigilyph responded, in a playful tone. "Are you going to _fight_ me?"

"Well, I'm assuming you don't intend to just let her go," Blitz replied, glaring at the Sigilyph.

"Ooh, aren't you a smart one!" the Sigilyph responded in a mocking tone. "You figured out that _I_ was the one who captured your friend _and_ that I do not plan on just letting her go just because you said so!"

"Yeah, Blitz is _way_ smarter than you!" Frederick exclaimed, nodding his head. "So, you'd better watch out… whoever you are!"

Chiaki was just staring absent-mindedly up at the Sigilyph. Chiaki wasn't sure why, but something about the Sigilyph and the sound of his voice… it was giving him a really strange feeling. He couldn't seem to move at all, but he didn't really mind or even care.

 _"_ _Have I… heard this voice before…?"_ Chiaki thought, continuing to stare up at the Sigilyph.

Strangely enough, Chiaki thought he suddenly heard the sound of thunder and of rain pouring down, even though the weather was clear aside from a few clouds in the sky.

 _"_ _I… I'm forgetting something… something important…"_ Chiaki thought.

Meanwhile, the Sigilyph had been examining the five smaller Pokémon on the ground, seeming somewhat amused.

"You're all just kids, aren't you?" the Sigilyph commented, snickering a little. "I guess the so-called rescue teams aren't as clever as they used to be, seeing as a bunch of children managed to find me first!"

"Well, I bet some of the other rescue teams will be showing up soon!" Azure responded, smirking. "One of our friends went to go get some reinforcements!"

"Oh my, so there is an angry mob on the way?" the Sigilyph asked, chuckling. "Ah, just like old times!"

Blitz discreetly pulled some seeds out of the treasure bag, and moved over to Chiaki.

"Chiaki, use Swift to launch these at the Sigilyph," Blitz whispered, trying to hand the Vile Seed they got earlier that day, along with two Sleep Seeds and an X-Eye Seed over to the Mienfoo. "Come on, hurry up!"

"Huh?" Chiaki replied, blinking a few times and snapping out of a trance-like state. "Oh… right…"

Finding that he was able to move again, Chiaki quickly took the seeds into his paw and then fired them at the Sigilyph in a burst of glowing golden stars. However, before the projectiles could reach their target, the Sigilyph's eye suddenly flashed dark purple and the stars froze in mid-air.

"Ooh, really neat trick," the Sigilyph commented, before the stars turned black and then disintegrated, taking the seeds inside a few of them with them. "But you'll have to do better than that if you want to keep me entertained!"

"What… was that attack?" Azure asked, looking to Blitz.

"I… don't know…" Blitz responded, looking rather stunned. "I… don't think I've seen an attack like that before…"

"He stopped my Swift attack…" Chiaki muttered, tilting his head.

"Guys, he's not an ordinary Sigilyph!" Bow shouted. "He's an evil spirit _possessing_ an ordinary Sigilyph!"

"Uh… What?" Azure responded, looking rather confused.

"Did she just say "evil spirit"?" Sera asked, tilting her head.

"That's what I heard," Frederick commented, nodding his head.

"… I don't get it," Chiaki said, glancing around at his teammates.

Blitz didn't even say anything, just staring blankly at Bow and the Sigilyph.

"It's true!" Bow shouted, hitting her hands against the inside of the bubble. "His name is Erebos and he…"

"Bow, please, I am perfectly capable of introducing myself!" the Sigilyph commented, snickering a little before turning his attention back to Blitz and co. "So, shall we resume our little game?"

And with that, the Sigilyph fired several Shadow Balls at the Pokémon on the ground, forcing the five of them to quickly dodge out of the way.

"Okay, I don't know _what_ this guy's deal is, but I say we take him down!" Azure said, glaring up at the Sigilyph.

Azure began firing Bubble Beams into the air, trying to hit the Sigilyph. However, he easily dodged her attacks.

"You can do it, Azure!" Frederick said, cheering his friend on.

"I wonder how we can break that force field…" Blitz muttered, looking up at the dark bubble containing his captured friend.

"Erebos…?" Sera said, tilting her head slightly. "That name… sounds kind of familiar…"

 _"_ _I think… I've met this guy before…"_ Chiaki thought, staring up at the Sigilyph. _"That has to be the reason why I'm feeling this way… Come on, try to remember…"_

"Ah, look at all the pretty bubbles!" Erebos said, putting up a force field to block a stream of bubbles.

"Ugh, this isn't working…" Azure muttered, taking a moment to catch her breath. "Hey, Sera? Give me a Helping Hand, would you?"

"I'm on it!" Sera replied, using her Helping Hand move to power up her teammates.

"Ha, as long as I stay up here, you can't hit me!" Erebos commented, chuckling. "It's a bit unfair, isn't it?"

"Hey, I'll knock you out of the sky eventually!" Azure responded, smirking. "Besides, I'm not the only one here with long range attacks!"

"Yeah, I know a few attacks like that too," Frederick said, nodding his head.

"And uh… I can use Swift," Chiaki added, still seeming a bit out of it.

"No matter what you throw at me, I can easily block it," Erebos replied, his eyes glowing. "In fact… I could just stop you from using those attacks in the first place!"

"And how would you do that?" Azure asked, looking skeptical.

"Like this!" Erebos responded, firing a strange bolt of dark energy at Azure.

Azure was sent rolling backwards, before bumping into a rock. She quickly got up, albeit a bit dazed.

"Azure, are you okay?" Sera asked.

"Y-Yeah…" Azure responded, nodding slightly. "He just caught me off-guard with that attack, that's all…"

Azure attempted her Bubble Beam attack again, but to her surprise, nothing happened. She then tried her weaker Bubble and Water Gun attacks, but nothing happened.

"Huh?" Azure said, blinking a few times. "Why isn't it working?"

She then looked over at her tail, and decided to see if she could still use Aqua Tail. She tried focusing her power as she usually did, but the blue ball at the end of her tail wouldn't shine with blue light.

"E-Even my physical water attacks?" Azure exclaimed, staring blankly at her tail. "W-What is this!?"

"You know the move 'Disable', right?" Erebos asked, snickering. "It's like that, only better! Because you see, I've just sealed _all_ the water attacks you know, and the best part is, this won't wear off when you leave the dungeon!"

"W-What did you just say!?" Azure exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the Sigilyph. "N-No… That's not possible!"

The other Pokémon on the ground were rather shocked by this as well. Their opponent could just seal their attacks like that? How would they even fight back against such a foe? Blitz could tell that was what they were all thinking, however…

"… Bow! Do you know of any way to defeat him?" Blitz asked.

"Um… There is a way, but…" Bow responded, but before she could finish talking, Erebos suddenly picked up Blitz with telekinesis.

"Well, still not giving up, are you?" Erebos asked, curiously looking at Blitz.

"I… I have to save Bow!" Blitz responded, trying to make himself look a bit more intimidating despite not being able to do much while stuck floating in the air like this.

"Ah, I see," Erebos replied, snickering. "Always have to save the girl, even when the odds are against you, huh?"

Blitz was attempting to figure out what he could do while suspended in mid-air by the Sigilyph's powers. Perhaps if he could reach one of the items in the treasure bag, then… However, before he could reach for it, the psychic energies suddenly shifted, holding Blitz in the air by one of his front paws.

"Hey, I was always wondering…" Erebos said, examining Blitz's paw curiously. "Those yellow lines… What are they for?"

"Huh?" Blitz responded, glancing up at his paw. "It's… for charging electricity…"

"Oh, is that it?" Erebos replied, seeming rather intrigued. "Because I always thought it was there to show enemies where they should start if they feel like cutting your paws off!"

"W-What…?" Blitz responded, starting to feel rather nervous. _"I don't like where this is going…"_

"Let's see… Is there anything sharp I can use around here?" Erebos said, glancing around.

Looking around on the ground, he soon spotted some rocks on the ground.

"Hmm… Maybe that'll do…" Erebos muttered, using his powers to break off a piece of rock and then lifting it up to examine it.

"W-What are you doing?" Blitz asked, squirming a bit.

"Let's just sharpen this a little…" Erebos said, snickering as he used his powers to sharpen the edge of the rock. "Ooh, maybe this will do?"

"Please, don't!" Blitz exclaimed, desperately trying to shake free.

"This might hurt a bit…" Erebos said, giggling maniacally as he slowly began levitating the pointed end of the rock towards the yellow line on the paw he was telekinetically holding Blitz by.

 _"_ _This… this can't be happening!"_ Blitz thought, staring wide-eyed at the floating rock. _"I… I have to think of something fast!"_

"Ooh, I love that frightened expression!" Erebos commented, chuckling. "Ah, I'll just be enjoying this moment for a bit!"

On the ground, Blitz's teammates were watching, or in Frederick's case, listening in horror at the scene playing out above them.

"Is he… really going to cut Blitz's paws off?" Chiaki asked, watching in horror.

"We've got to do something, right?" Frederick said, tilting his head slightly.

"Yeah, but… what can we possibly do?" Azure asked, squeezing her eyes shut and turning away. "I… I feel so helpless…"

"Blitz…" Sera muttered, shivering as she looked up at him.

Bow was also watching from inside the force field, but she quickly turned away.

"I… I don't want to watch this!" Bow said, covering her eyes with her hands.

Blitz's heart was beating so fast that it almost felt like it might burst out of his chest at any moment. Yet, as the pointed rock slowly hovered towards his paw, the spirit possessing the Sigilyph clearly enjoying every moment of his fear, Blitz still tried to think of a way out of this.

 _"_ _There might be a way out of this after all…"_ Blitz thought, closing his eyes for a moment. _"I… just need to wait for the right moment…"_

"Just a little further…" Erebos commented, snickering.

Blitz opened his eyes, watching the sharp rock which was getting closer to his paw. Despite his fear, Blitz managed to wait until it was about to hit the paw before suddenly making his fur glow brightly, catching his opponent off-guard.

"Ah!" Erebos shouted, momentarily blinded by the light.

"Well done, Blitz!" a familiar voice called out, and before Blitz even had time to turn his head to see where it came from, a certain Heracross suddenly flew out from the bushes, giving Erebos an angry glare. "I won't let you hurt him!"

Hercules' horn was glowing green as he quickly charged at the Sigilyph, and rammed into him with the horn. The attack caused Sigilyph to lose his grip on Blitz, as well as making the force field containing Bow dissolve, sending both Pokémon falling towards the ground.

"It's okay, we're here now!" another familiar voice called out, as Blitz and Bow were suddenly caught mid-fall with telekinesis and gently lowered to the ground.

"Mom, you're here!" Bow exclaimed in delight, before happily running up to the Gothitelle.

"Oh, sweetie," Stella responded, picking up Bow and hugging her tightly. "I was so worried about you…"

"S-Stella…" Blitz muttered, before sighing in relief and turning to look at Hercules as he landed beside him.

"Are you okay, Blitz?" Hercules asked, gently petting Blitz.

"Y-Yeah…" Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly and wiping away a few tears with his paw.

"Blitz!" Sera exclaimed, running up to the Shinx and nuzzling him. "Thank goodness you're okay!"

"Wow, you sure know how to make an entrance!" Azure shouted, grinning at Hercules.

"I don't know what just happened, but thanks for coming to the rescue!" Frederick said, smiling.

"Hercules, I'm really glad to see you and Stella!" Chiaki said, smiling. "Although, is it okay for you to not be at the dojo?"

"Don't you worry about that, the other Pokémon have everything under control," Hercules explained, smiling and patting Blitz on the head. "When I heard you guys had gone off to look for Bow, I just had to come to make sure my apprentice was okay!"

"You… came here for me?" Blitz asked, looking up at Hercules.

"Of course I did," Hercules responded, nodding his head. "It's my responsibility looking out for you, you know?"

"… Right," Blitz replied, smiling back at Hercules. "Thank you."

"Nobody gets to mess with you when I'm around," Hercules responded, before turning to Stella and Bow. "You two okay?"

"We're fine!" Bow responded, smiling at Hercules.

"We should hurry back to town before…" Stella said, noticing that the Sigilyph was starting to get back up.

"Ugh… Catching me off-guard… Not bad…" Erebos commented, snickering a little.

"Erebos…" Stella said, glaring at the Sigilyph.

"Ah, Cassandra's great, great granddaughter," Erebos said, looking over at Stella. "We finally meet."

"How did you escape your prison?" Stella asked.

"Well, you see this Sigilyph?" Erebos responded, snickering. "His name is Forks, an outlaw who happened to find the place where I was locked away while escaping from a rescue team. I guess he thought he'd found a treasure, and once he got close, I broke out of the box my sister put me in and claimed his body. Of course, this guy ain't too happy about it, fighting in the back of the mind for control of the body. I mostly just ignore him."

"I see," Stella replied, nodding her head slightly. "Since she left this world a long time ago, it's only natural that the seal would've weakened…"

"Yes, I felt her magic slowly fade over the years," Erebos responded, giggling. "I just waited and waited for the moment where I could escape, and finally get my revenge!"

"You won't succeed," Stella replied, forming a Shadow Ball between her hands. "This time, we will make sure to take you down for good!"

"Ooh, more aggressive than Cassandra, I see?" Erebos inquired, snickering. "Well, I won't make the mistake of underestimating the town oracle _this_ time!"

Stella flung the Shadow Ball at Erebos, but he easily dodged it and then fired a purple wave of energy towards Stella.

"Stella!" Hercules exclaimed, flying in front of her and taking the hit.

Hercules collapsed on the ground, and Blitz quickly rushed over to his side. Stella blinked a few times, before helping Blitz check on Hercules.

"Is he okay?" Blitz asked, shaking Hercules' shoulder.

"He's just unconscious," Stella responded, noting a faint purple glow around Hercules, before glancing back up at Erebos.

"Aw, I missed," Erebos said, looking somewhat annoyed. "Well, I'll just try this again!"

"Oh, no you won't!" a female voice suddenly called out, before something leapt out from the shadows and slashed at Erebos with sharp claws.

"Nice one, Mirage!" another female voice said, as the illusion flickered out, revealing Mirage and her two teammates.

"Another rescue team, is it…?" Erebos commented, snickering a little. "This body isn't all that strong, but… I can still have a bit more fun with this!"

Erebos' eye began to glow again, and hit Mirage with an orb of light.

"What was that, a psychic attack?" Mirage asked, smirking. "I didn't feel anything."

"Try using your Illusion ability," Erebos responded.

"Uh… Why?" Mirage replied, tilting her head slightly.

"Just do it and you'll see," Erebos said, hovering around.

"Um… Okay?" Mirage responded, and attempted to use her ability. However, nothing happened. "… That's strange."

"He can seal abilities too?" Sera asked, exchanging concerned glances with Azure.

"Okay, I don't know what just happened, but I don't need my illusion powers to win this!" Mirage said, grinning.

"Oh, not all that upset about losing your power?" Erebos asked. "That's kind of disappointing."

"She doesn't use it all that much, anyways," Megara commented, shrugging her shoulders.

"The mushroom thinks we should attack all at once," Cordyceps said, in his usual monotone.

"All right, let's go!" Mirage shouted, firing a stream of dark energy at the opponent.

"This ought to heat things up a bit!" Megara said, spitting out a stream of fire at the Sigilyph.

Erebos easily dodged the two attacks, and noticed a cloud of spores floating towards him.

"Oh, nice try," Erebos commented, blowing the spores away. "Is that the best you can come up with?"

"Do not mock the mushroom," Cordyceps responded. "The mushroom will make you regret your evil actions!"

"Parasect are such funny creatures," Erebos said, before sending an eerie wave of energy at Cordyceps. "Let's see how this works."

"H-Hey, what are you doing?" Cordyceps asked, staring blankly as usual. "Huh? Why can't I hear the mushroom?"

"Okay, who's next?" Erebos said while Cordyceps' confusion had him distracted. "I suppose I should do something to the Magmar next!"

"I'm not scared of you!" Megara responded, glaring at Erebos.

"You're not?" Erebos asked, snickering. "Well, you _should_ be scared. Now, say good-bye to your fire attacks!"

However, before Erebos could cast his next curse, there was a flash of light, and shortly after, Erebos was struck from behind by an icicle launched at him by Frosty.

"Nice shot, Frosty!" Melody said, bouncing on her feet.

"Ugh… There's another rescue team here now…?" Erebos asked, noticing two more flashes of light.

"Are we late to the party?" Regina asked, winking as she and her teammates appeared.

"What took you so long?" Mirage responded, grinning.

"Well, I suppose Kala must've dozed off at some point between finding and sending you guys here, and finding and sending the rest of us here," Calder replied, shrugging slightly.

"At least we're here now," Sting buzzed.

Erebos looked around at all the Pokémon gathered.

"Hmm… This body can't handle many more attacks…" Erebos said, sighing. "Well, I guess I'll retreat for now."

The Sigilyph soon became veiled in a dark mist, as the leaders of the gathered rescue teams fired a few attacks. Once the mist cleared, there was no one to be found.

"Aw, he got away!" Mirage said, pouting.

"G-Guys, the mushroom has lost its voice!" Cordyceps exclaimed. "What do we do about it?"

"And my water attacks still aren't working…" Azure said, sighing.

The Pokémon began talking amongst themselves for a few moments, wondering what had been going on. Stella and Bow exchanged glances, before Stella spoke up.

"Everyone, we should head back to Fenix Town," Stella said. "A lot has happened here today, and I think it'd be best if we all get some rest. Tomorrow, I'll explain everything."

The other Pokémon looked around at each other, but agreed that Stella was right. Mirage helped Stella pick up the unconscious Hercules, and the rescue teams then lifted up their badges to teleport home.

* * *

At the rescue team HQ, Kala was asleep as usual. Of course, she had used a lot of power today with all the rescue teams she had to teleport back and forth, so naturally she was tired. Elina had also been taking a nap in Kala's room, but as she sensed the return of the various rescue teams, she opened her eyes slightly.

 _"_ _They're back…"_ Elina thought, sitting up. _"… I wonder how things went."_

* * *

**End of Chapter 32**


	33. So, you think he's the one who wiped your memories, huh?

* * *

The sun was setting on what had been a rather chaotic day. Bow had made it back home safely, but some of the members of the rescue teams that had been involved in the rescue mission were now dealing with the effects of the curse the enemy had put on them. Some of the rescue teams had gone to the café to relax after this stressful day.

"So, still can't use your illusion powers?" Megara asked, looking over at Mirage.

"Nope," Mirage responded, shaking her head. "I thought it might wear off upon leaving the dungeon, but I guess not… Although, I'm not the one we should really be worrying about here."

Mirage looked over at Cordyceps with a concerned look, as the Parasect was staring at a menu with a somewhat panicked look.

"I… I don't know what to order!" Cordyceps said, shaking as he stared down at the different things on the menu.

"It's not that big of a deal," Mirage commented, trying to get her teammate to relax. "I can order for you, if you can't make up your mind."

"Oh, I've never been good at making decisions…" Cordyceps said, sighing. "That's why I let the mushroom do most of the thinking for me…"

"I'm sure we'll figure out a way to reverse whatever that Sigilyph did to you," Mirage responded, smiling at Cordyceps. "Until then, you can ask me and Megara for advice!"

"I… I appreciate the thought…" Cordyceps replied. "But… I wouldn't know which one of you to ask…"

Azure was helping take orders and serve drinks, although she seemed much less upbeat than usual. Frederick heard her sigh, and walked up to her.

"Still upset about your water moves being sealed?" Frederick asked.

"Well, that's obvious, isn't it?" Azure responded, sighing.

"Hmm… Maybe you could ask Giselle about it?" Frederick suggested. "She might know of a cure, or something."

"… Maybe," Azure responded, thinking about it for a moment. "For now, I think she's busy looking after Hercules, though."

"Oh, right," Frederick replied, tilting his head slightly. "He hasn't regained consciousness yet, has he?"

"Nope," Azure responded, shaking her head. "Hopefully he wakes up soon."

"Yeah," Frederick replied, nodding slightly. "I guess the other Pokémon working at the dojo will be able to handle things, though."

"Sure, but it's not really the dojo I'm concerned about," Azure said, crossing her arms.

"What do you mean?" Frederick asked.

"Well, he's Blitz's mentor, you know?" Azure responded. "And not only that, but it seems Blitz talks to him about a lot of things he's not comfortable sharing with anyone else."

"Oh… right…" Frederick replied, nodding slightly. "Blitz must be really worried about him…"

"Yeah…" Azure said, sighing. "Since there are others with bigger problems, I probably shouldn't be moping about my water attacks being sealed…"

"Hey, it'll be fine," Frederick commented, rubbing his head against Azure affectionately. "We will figure out how to get your water moves back, somehow!"

"I hope so," Azure responded. "Because… if I can't go on adventures, I… well, I'd get really bored, I guess."

"Why wouldn't you be able to go on adventures?" Frederick asked. "You have other attacks aside from your water moves, right?"

"Yeah, but… I don't think I'd feel comfortable going on adventures like this," Azure responded, thinking about it for a moment.

"Oh, okay," Frederick replied, nodding his head.

"… Thanks for trying to cheer me up," Azure said, smiling at Frederick. "You're a really good friend, you know?"

"Well, I try my best to be," Frederick responded, blushing slightly.

"And you're great at it!" Azure commented, grinning. "Anyways, I guess we should get back to work, huh? You take the orders, and I'll serve the drinks!"

"Okay, Azure!" Frederick responded, nodding his head.

And so, things were busy in the café, until the rescue teams went home and it was time to close up the café for the day. Hopefully, it would be a quiet and peaceful night in Fenix Town.

* * *

Chiaki slowly was making his way through the wet grass, rain falling all over. Lightning flashed, and he could hear the sound of thunder shortly after. However, even if it was pouring down, Chiaki just kept going. He felt as if there was somewhere he had to be, something he had to remember.

 _"…_ _I know this place,"_ Chiaki thought to himself, looking around at the trees. _"This is… Meridian Forest …"_

Chiaki looked around, and thought he could see something moving in the distance. He picked up the pace bit, trying to see if he could get close enough to see what was happening. As he got closer, he thought he could hear a voice.

 _"_ _Where was it…?"_ Chiaki thought to himself as he kept running. _"Isn't the place where I first met Blitz and Sera somewhere nearby?"_

Caught up in his own thoughts, Chiaki almost didn't notice a row of trees blocking his path. Luckily, he noticed just in time and avoided crashing into them.

"W-What…?" Chiaki muttered, staring up at the row of trees. "This… can't be right…"

After taking a brief moment to catch his breath, Chiaki turned around and began running back the way he came, hoping to find another way to reach what he thought he saw. However, it seemed as if the forest was still changing around him, and no matter which way he went, it didn't lead anywhere. Chiaki eventually had to stop again, collapsing into the wet grass. He shivered from the cold as he looked around in confusion at his surroundings.

_"_ _Why can't I find it?"_

_"_ _No… I shouldn't be here…"_

_"_ _Try to remember…"_

_"_ _Remember… remember… remember…"_

Chiaki covered his ears to block out the sounds of the rain pouring down, the wind howling and the thunder booming in the distance. The maze still seemed to be constantly changing around him.

_"_ _It's no good…"_

_"_ _Why can't I remember...?"_

_"_ _What really happened… back then?"_

_"_ _I know that I've forgotten something… really important…"_

Chiaki glanced up, and thought he could see the silhouette of a Sigilyph hovering above him.

"… It was you, wasn't it?" Chiaki said, staring blankly up at the silhouette before it faded away. "It's all your doing, isn't it…?"

The forest itself began fading away into darkness around him, but Chiaki didn't react even as the ground disappeared underneath him and he fell. Chiaki just closed his eyes, falling through the darkness.

_"_ _I don't want this place to disappear…"_

_"_ _The friends I've made… the friends I have yet to meet…"_

_"_ _Why does he have to try to destroy it all?"_

_"…"_

_"_ _I… can't… let… that… happen…"_

* * *

Chiaki could still hear the sound of rain pouring down, and opened his eyes slightly. He was lying in his bed, Blitz asleep in the bed next to him. Chiaki sat up, and looked around. He briefly wondered if he was imagining things, but he quickly realized that it was in fact raining outside.

 _"_ _Just a dream, huh…"_ Chiaki thought to himself, rubbing the side of his head.

Chiaki lay back down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling while listening to the sound of the rain outside.

 _"…_ _I'm pretty sure… that I had heard Erebos' voice somewhere before…"_ Chiaki thought, trying to remember. _"Back when I first met Stella… she mentioned a vision she saw in which a Pokémon was chasing a smaller Pokémon through Meridian Forest, didn't she?"_

Chiaki closed his eyes, and thought about this for a while.

 _"_ _I suppose… that's how it might be,"_ Chiaki thought, opening his eyes again. _"Maybe… I was there the night the crystals were stolen, and… Erebos chased after me, and then erased my memories…"_

From what he had seen of Erebos, it certainly seemed likely that he could've had something to do with Chiaki's missing memories. Erebos did seal away Azure's water attacks and Mirage's Illusion ability, so why wouldn't he be able to seal away memories as well? It seemed to make sense to Chiaki, although he felt as if he was probably missing some important details.

 _"_ _I should bring this up to the others tomorrow…"_ Chiaki thought to himself, yawning and closing his eyes. _"But for now, I should get some more sleep…"_

* * *

When morning came, it had stopped raining. Chiaki looked out the window, and noticed that it was still somewhat cloudy, but not much cloudier than the day before. Chiaki thought about Amethyst's weather prediction the day before, and how she according to Sera had predicted that it wouldn't rain until the day after this one.

"Guess she didn't get it entirely right, huh…" Chiaki commented, looking out at the sky. "I guess the weather might've changed its plans, and didn't bother telling Amethyst…"

Chiaki looked over at Blitz's bed, only to realize that Blitz wasn't there.

"… Did he already head out?" Chiaki wondered, tilting his head slightly. "I guess I should try to catch up to him..."

Chiaki stepped outside, and began heading into the town plaza. Things seemed to be fairly normal, although he could see a few of the rescue teams standing around, talking about what had happened yesterday. He couldn't see Blitz anywhere, though.

"Looking for someone?" a female voice inquired, and Chiaki turned to see Marietta looking over at him from behind her counter.

"Oh, hi there," Chiaki said, waving to Marietta. "Did Blitz come through here?"

"Yeah, he did," Marietta responded, nodding her head slightly. "He went to the rescue team HQ to check on Hercules."

"Ah, right…" Chiaki replied, remembering that something had happened to Hercules as well during the fight against Erebos. "Of course, he's worried about Hercules…"

"I'm worried about him too," Marietta said, sighing. "I want to go check on him, but I've got work to do… I just hope he recovers soon…"

"Yeah…" Chiaki replied, nodding his head slightly. "Well, I guess I'd better head to the HQ too and find out what's going on. Thanks, Marietta!"

"You're welcome," Marietta responded, waving to Chiaki as he headed off to the rescue team HQ.

* * *

At the rescue team HQ, a few rescue teams were going about their usual business. Some were looking at the missions on the bulletin boards, while others were discussing recent events in the area. In the room behind the pink curtain, Blitz was sitting next to Hercules, who had still not regained consciousness.

"I really don't understand this," nurse Giselle commented, shaking her head. "As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with him…"

"Then… why isn't he waking up?" Blitz asked, looking over at the Audino with a concerned look.

"I don't know," Giselle responded, sighing. "I've checked and double-checked just about everything I can think of, but everything seems normal…"

"Are you sure you've checked _everything_?" Blitz asked.

"Well, at least everything I can check without having to cut him open first," Giselle responded.

"I… I see…" Blitz replied, glancing down and rubbing his forelegs together.

"I don't think I'll be able to figure this one out on my own," Giselle said. "There are some things I can't look into myself, after all…"

"… You mean, like how you couldn't determine what had caused Chiaki's amnesia?" Blitz asked.

"Exactly," Giselle replied, nodding her head. "This is why I'm hoping they'll soon hire a psychic type qualified for this kind of work to help out with things like that…"

Blitz nodded his head slightly, looking over at the sleeping Heracross beside him.

"You and your friends probably have work to do," Giselle said, comfortingly patting Blitz on the back. "Just leave Hercules to me."

"He'll get better soon… right?" Blitz asked.

"I'm sure he will," Giselle responded, trying to give a reassuring smile. "So, you and your friends just handle the missions as you usually do."

"Okay…" Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly.

He began heading out, only to suddenly stop and turn around.

"Oh, I almost forgot…" Blitz said, taking out a card and handing it to Giselle. "Marietta asked me to bring this to Hercules."

"Ah, a "get-well-soon" card, I see," Giselle responded, examining the card.

"Yeah," Blitz replied, nodding his head. "So, um… I guess I'll be going now."

"Good luck with today's missions!" Giselle said, waving good-bye as Blitz exited her office.

Upon leaving Giselle's office, Blitz met up with his teammates, who had been waiting for him outside.

"How is he?" Sera asked.

"Still the same…" Blitz responded, looking down at the floor.

"Wonder how long he'll be sleeping?" Frederick said, tilting his head slightly.

"Who knows," Azure responded, shrugging slightly. "This is all so weird…"

"So… Should we find some missions?" Chiaki suggested.

"I don't know," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "Not really in the mood for exploring…"

"And I still can't use my water attacks," Azure said, shaking her head.

"… Hey, is it just me, or is this place a bit more crowded than usual?" Sera asked, looking around.

While some of the rescue teams had picked out some missions, they weren't going anywhere. It seemed as if they were waiting for something.

"Oh, right!" Azure exclaimed. "It should nearly be time!"

"Uh… What are you talking about?" Blitz asked.

"Well, Stella sent out this message asking everyone to gather in the center of town," Azure explained. "Apparently, there was something important she needed to tell everyone."

"Oh? What could that be?" Sera wondered, tilting her head.

"Hmm… I guess it's about Erebos," Blitz responded. "Remember, Stella said she would explain everything she knew."

"Speaking of Erebos…" Chiaki said, clearing his throat. "I… think I may have met him before…"

"Huh?" Azure replied, blinking a few times.

"What do you mean?" Sera asked.

Blitz, Sera, Azure and Frederick listened to Chiaki while he explained his theory about what had happened that stormy night in Meridian Forest.

"Hmm… I see," Azure said, nodding slightly. "So, you think he's the one who wiped your memories, huh?"

"Makes sense to me," Frederick commented, nodding his head.

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" Chiaki responded, smiling.

"Certainly wouldn't surprise me," Azure replied.

"So, we might be getting closer to solving the mystery of your lost memories," Sera commented, smiling. "That's good news, at least!"

"Hmm… I don't know…" Blitz said, looking to be thinking about something. "There's something that doesn't…"

Before Blitz could finish his sentence, a voice was heard throughout the area.

_"_ _Everyone, please come over to the center of town!"_

"Oh, I guess it's time!" Azure exclaimed. "Come on, let's go!"

The rescue teams exited the building, and headed back into town. Soon, almost all of the Pokémon who lived in the town were present in the center of town. Some of them talked amongst themselves, wondering what was going to happen. It didn't take long before Stella and Bow showed up, and everyone went quiet as Stella prepared to speak up.

"Thanks for coming, everyone," Stella said, looking out over the crowd. "I asked you all to come here today because I have some important things to tell you all."

"So, you all need to listen closely to what my mother has to say!" Bow added.

"Yes… It's about the thief who stole the crystals from Axis Tower," Stella said, sighing. "I… probably should've told you this the moment I was absolutely sure, but…"

"She's been busy!" Bow commented, nodding her head slightly. "She's had work to do!"

"Right…" Stella responded, clearing her throat. "So, anyways… I know that many of those who live here come from different parts of this continent, and for that reason, you might not be familiar with the history of this town."

A few of the Pokémon in the crowd exchanged confused glances, and whispering could be heard between some of them.

"Sera, do you know what Stella is talking about?" Blitz asked.

"Um… I think I may have heard a bit about it before…" Sera responded, thinking for a moment. "But… I can't really remember much."

"What about you, Azure?" Chiaki asked, looking over at the Marill. "You know anything about it?"

"Nope," Azure replied, shrugging slightly.

"Oh," Chiaki responded, turning his attention back to Stella. "I guess Stella is about to explain it, so let's just listen to her."

"I really wish we had some popcorn about now…" Frederick commented.

The crowd went quiet once more, and listened as Stella began explaining how it all began, the beginning of a story that wasn't over yet…

* * *

**End of Chapter 33**


	34. It'd be nice if something really big could happen soon...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now for some backstory! These next few chapters follow the same narration style used in Chapter 22. Hope you're all enjoying the story so far! Feel free to leave a comment!

* * *

_"_ _For many generations, a female Gothitelle has been the "town oracle" of this place. The first of these was a Gothitelle who used her powers to help Pokémon who had gotten lost in mystery dungeons, back when there weren't any rescue teams. One night, that Gothitelle had a vision of a terrible storm, and warned the other Pokémon. Thanks to her warning, they were able to make the necessary preparations that allowed them to minimize the damage._

_Ever since then, a descendant of that Gothitelle has held the position of the town oracle in this town, using their power to see the future to help the Pokémon there. Of course, how much a town oracle was really needed could vary from time to time._

_It was in a seemingly peaceful time that this story began. This town was much smaller back then, and the current town oracle at that time was a Gothitelle named Cassandra…"_

* * *

It was the start of a new day, and it was looking to be a bright and sunny one. While most of the Pokémon living in the nearby town didn't mind getting up early, Cassandra was not too pleased when the sun shone through the opening in the ceiling of the stone building, disturbing her sleep. The Gothitelle sighed, and lazily opened an eye.

"Ugh, go away sun…" Cassandra muttered, raising her hand and telekinetically pulling the cover over the hole used to protect from the rain. "That's better…"

Cassandra hoped to get another few minutes of sleep, but soon heard someone calling for her outside. After a few moments of trying to ignore them, she eventually opened her eyes and sat up.

"Okay, okay… I'm up…" Cassandra muttered, rubbing her eyes and heading down to the first floor. "One would think being the town oracle would at least come with the benefit of being able to sleep as long as one wants in the morning…"

Cassandra went to see who was at the entrance, and was greeted by a yellow humanoid Pokémon with a long mustache. He was holding a spoon in each hand.

"Good morning, Cassandra!" the Alakazam said cheerily.

"Yeah, sure," Cassandra responded, yawning. "So, what do you want?"

"My, did someone get up on the wrong side of the bed today?" the Alakazam asked.

"I stayed up late looking at the stars, since that's what town oracles are supposed to do," Cassandra responded, crossing her arms and turning away. "Can you really blame me for being tired?"

"All right, fair enough," the Alakazam replied, nodding his head. "So… See anything?"

"Visions of the future, you mean?" Cassandra asked, looking over her shoulder at the Alakazam. "Well, aside from a few Pokémon getting lost in mystery dungeons, I didn't see anything particularly interesting."

"Ah, I see," the Alakazam responded. "So, if a Pokémon comes here asking about a friend who disappeared, you know where to send them."

"I guess," Cassandra replied, shrugging slightly. "Of course, considering how we're encouraged to avoid the mystery dungeons and Pokémon are always telling their kids not to go near them, I don't understand why _some_ Pokémon just disregard that and get lost in there anyways!"

"Well, I suppose there are always those who let their curiosity get the better of them," the Alakazam responded, chuckling a little. "Plus, some Pokémon might want to test their courage by exploring the dungeons. Remember when the two of us did that when we were younger?"

"Yeah, I remember," Cassandra replied, nodding her head slightly. "I ended up having to do most of the fighting because _you_ kept dozing off."

"Hey, I was just an Abra back then," the Alakazam responded, smiling sheepishly. "I needed a lot of sleep to maintain my psychic powers!"

"I know, I know," Cassandra replied, smiling at the Alakazam. "So… Have you had any breakfast yet?"

"Oh, um… No, I haven't," the Alakazam responded, chuckling a bit. "I kind of forgot."

Cassandra telekinetically picked up some berries from a basket, and began cutting them up.

"So, anyways… Aside from helping Pokémon finding their friends in mystery dungeons, predicting the weather and stuff like that… It doesn't really feel like I've got a whole lot to do around here," Cassandra explained while preparing the food. "Nothing ever really seems to happen around here, you know?"

"Well, things are pretty peaceful," the Alakazam responded, nodding his head slightly. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yes, of course it is," Cassandra said, shrugging slightly. "I just… I don't know…"

"What is bothering you?" the Alakazam asked.

"Well, like I said, I guess I don't really understand why I'm needed here," Cassandra explained, telekinetically moving two plates of berries over to a nearby table. "As a town oracle, that is. I mean, once they manage to come up with a better way of dealing with Pokémon who get lost in mystery dungeons, the town oracle would pretty much be out of a job, don't you think?"

"… Are you unhappy being the town oracle?" the Alakazam inquired.

"I don't think "unhappy" is the right word for it," Cassandra responded, sitting down at the other side of the table. "Maybe I… just wish I had more to do around here?"

"Like what?" the Alakazam asked, using one of his spoons to eat the berries.

"Well, town oracles are supposed to help the other Pokémon in this town, right?" Cassandra replied, sighing as she poked at a berry piece with a wooden fork. "Except… they don't really seem to need my help for much else. They all seem to be doing fine on their own."

"Ah, I see," the Alakazam responded, nodding his head slightly.

The two psychic types quietly sat and ate their breakfast, not saying anything for a while.

"Simon, you're pretty smart, aren't you?" Cassandra asked, looking over at the Alakazam. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"Hmm… Cassandra, how well do you know the Pokémon of this town?" Simon inquired.

"Huh? Well, um… I know the names of most of them, and there are some I regularly talk to…" Cassandra responded, thinking for a moment. "Not sure if any of them would consider me a friend or not…"

"I see," Simon replied, nodding his head slightly. "I wouldn't mind getting to know some of the Pokémon in this town better myself, but I haven't really gotten around to it yet."

"Making more friends won't solve the issue of not having anything exciting to do, though," Cassandra responded, sighing. "It'd be nice if something really big could happen soon…"

* * *

_"Perhaps you have heard the saying 'be careful what you wish for'? Cassandra spent her time assisting the Pokémon in town with small things and they were grateful to her. However, even if it felt nice helping out, she just wasn't satisfied and kept wishing something bigger would happen. Then, one night…"_

* * *

Cassandra was mumbling something in her sleep, occasionally trashing about as something played out in her dreams. She saw a forest, with shimmering silver-colored grass and shining silver leaves on the trees. Then, a strange black cloud seemed to spread through the sky, and the silver plant life underneath it began to wilt. For a brief moment, everything turned red and a dark figure with three red gems below its neck and something resembling a witch's hat on its head. The figure smiled widely just before Cassandra opened her eyes and saw the stars above through the opening in the ceiling.

She blinked a few times in disbelief, before sitting up and taking a few deep breaths.

 _"_ _What… what was that?"_ Cassandra thought to herself, staring up at the stars. _"Just a dream, or… was it a vision?"_

Cassandra continued staring up at the sky for a while, unsure of what exactly she had seen and what it meant. Eventually, she tried to go back to sleep, knowing it probably wouldn't be easy when there were so many questions on her mind…

* * *

The next morning, Cassandra got up despite still feeling rather tired from not getting enough sleep. She knew in her heart that she just had to figure out what that vision last night was about, but wasn't sure if it would be necessary to tell anyone else about it. Still, perhaps some of the Pokémon in the town knew something about where the silver forest she saw was, and how to get there? She figured that was a good place to start looking for leads.

So she stepped outside, and walked down the path leading into the town. Looking around, one could see small buildings made from wood and a few of the Pokémon standing around and talking about different things that had happened recently. Cassandra soon spotted a wingless, long-legged avian Pokémon with three heads talking to a large, blue amphibian-looking Pokémon.

"… And that's why I need someone with strong arms like yours to break down that wall," the Dodrio's middle head explained cheerfully. "So, will you help us out?"

"Hmm… You said you wanted to prove you could get through the mystery dungeon on your own, right?" the Swampert asked, holding a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "But if I come with you, even if only to help you with that one obstacle, then technically you _wouldn't_ have done it by yourself, right?"

"Uh, well…" the middle head responded, glancing back and forth at the other two heads.

"Kind of obvious, really," the head on the left commented, rolling her eyes at the other two heads.

"It's okay, girls, we don't need him!" the head on the right exclaimed, grinning. "I bet we can jump over that barrier thing if we just get a _really_ good running start!"

Cassandra had spoken to these two Pokémon a few times before, since they were among the Pokémon who were brave and strong enough to handle the mystery dungeons and locate missing Pokémon within them. Perhaps one of them knew something about the place she saw in her vision? She decided to approach them and ask about it.

"Hey there," Cassandra said, waving to the two as she walked over.

"Oh, hi Cassandra!" the Dodrio's three heads responded in unison.

"Good morning, Cassandra," the Swampert said. "Are we needed for anything?"

"Huh?" Cassandra replied, before realizing what he meant. "Oh, you mean if I know of any Pokémon you need to help out? No, it's not that."

"Oh? What is it, then?" the Swampert asked.

"Well… I was just wondering if either of you happened to know something about a mystery dungeon…" Cassandra responded. "Do you know of a forest full of silver-colored plants?"

"Hmm… Can't say I've heard of it," the Dodrio's middle head replied, looking at her other two heads. "What about you?"

"I haven't heard of it either," the head on the right said.

"Considering we share the same body, it'd be kind of difficult for one of us to have heard of something that the other two didn't," the head on the left commented.

"Oh, you have a point there…" the middle head responded, blushing slightly.

"You're so silly!" the head on the right said, snickering a little.

"Girls, perhaps it is time to let someone else get a word in here?" the head on the left suggested, glancing over at the Swampert.

"Hmm… I think I might know what place you are thinking of," the Swampert said. "I've heard of a place called the Silver Woods, and it's likely that there might be a mystery dungeon there."

"Oh, is that so?" Cassandra inquired, tilting her head slightly. "You wouldn't happen to know how to get there, would you?"

"I'm afraid not," the Swampert responded, shaking his head. "All I know is that it is quite the distance away from this town."

"A long way to go, huh…" Cassandra said, putting a hand to her chin thoughtfully.

"Why are you asking about this, anyways?" the Swampert asked. "Did you have some sort of vision, or something?"

"Oh, I was just curious, really," Cassandra responded, smiling at the two Pokémon. "Well, I think I'll get going now. Thanks for the help!"

"You're welcome," the Swampert replied, waving to Cassandra as she headed off.

"… What do you think she's up to?" the Dodrio's left head asked once Cassandra was no longer within their earshot.

"I don't know," the Swampert responded. "Probably none of our business, though."

* * *

"… You want to go to Silver Woods?" Simon asked, looking curiously at Cassandra.

"Well, you know a lot of things, so I figured you might know how to get there," Cassandra responded, smiling at Simon.

"Why do you want to go there?" Simon asked.

"Oh, there's just… something I wanted to investigate," Cassandra replied. "So, what do you say? Think you can help me?"

"Hmm… I should be able to teleport us there," Simon responded, tapping his two spoons together.

"Great! Let's get going, then!" Cassandra said, smiling.

"Now, hold on," Simon responded. "Since there's a mystery dungeon involved, we should make some preparations before we head there. One never knows what to expect in those places, after all."

"Oh, right," Cassandra replied, nodding her head. "All right, I'll leave that to you, then!"

* * *

_"_ _Cassandra and her friend Simon met up again later that evening. The two of them teleported to Silver Woods, and arrived at the entrance to the mystery dungeon. As they looked around at their surroundings, Cassandra was certain that this was indeed the same place as the one from her dream."_

* * *

"It's beautiful…" Cassandra said, staring in awe at the sparkling silver plant life of the forest.

"Indeed it is," Simon responded, nodding his head. "This place certainly has a mysterious feel to it as well."

Cassandra smiled as she looked around at the surroundings, before remembering what she had come for.

"Come on, Simon!" Cassandra said, grabbing onto Simon's arm and pulling him towards the entrance to the mystery dungeon. "Let's try to get through the mystery dungeon before it gets dark!"

"All right, all right," Simon responded. "Just be careful so you don't tear my arm off."

* * *

_"_ _Together, the two of them began making their way through the labyrinth. While they didn't have as much experience with the mystery dungeons as some of the other Pokémon in the town did, they certainly had enough to handle the situation just fine. Plus, Simon's teleportation powers allowed them to get away from large groups of wild Pokémon, which I presume helped them get through the dungeon faster._

_As they went further into the dungeon, Cassandra began to feel uneasy. She began to wonder if it had really been a good idea to go there, but she also felt that since she had already gotten this far, there was no point in turning back. She had just had to figure out what her vision meant._

_Near the end of the mystery dungeon, Cassandra and Simon got surrounded by a large group of Pokémon. Simon had run out of power for his Teleport move, but since they were close to the stairs, he decided to keep the wild Pokémon distracted while Cassandra could exit the dungeon. Cassandra was reluctant to leave her friend behind, but…"_

* * *

"Simon, are you sure about this?" Cassandra asked, glancing back over her shoulder at Simon as she moved towards the stairs.

"Don't worry about me!" Simon responded, sending a few of the wild Pokémon flying at a wall of trees with his psychic power. "I'll be fine! You just go on ahead, and I'll catch up to you soon!"

"Oh, o-okay…" Cassandra replied, nodding her head slightly.

While Simon continued to keep the wild Pokémon busy, Cassandra made her way up the stairs. As she exited the dungeon, there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. She couldn't see anything unusual, anyways.

"Hmm… Is there nothing here…?" Cassandra wondered out loud. "No, that can't be right…"

Cassandra wondered whether it was best to wait for Simon to catch up, or to head deeper into the forest on her own. As she tried to decide on what to do, she suddenly spotted something purple hovering behind some trees.

"Someone's there…" Cassandra muttered, taking a step forwards.

The figure must've noticed her, as it suddenly flew off as fast as it could to get away. After a moment of hesitation, Cassandra decided to chase after it. It seemed to be faster than Cassandra, and even seemed to be able to fly right through the trees as if they weren't even there. However, Cassandra refused to give up.

 _"_ _I can't lose sight of it, I just can't…"_ Cassandra thought to herself.

Without even thinking, Cassandra formed a black orb of energy between her hands and fired it towards the figure. The other Pokémon glanced back to see if Cassandra was still following it, only to see the Shadow Ball attack flying towards it. It quickly moved out of the line of fire.

"No, I'm not letting you get away…" Cassandra muttered, using her psychic powers to make the Shadow Ball stop before it hit a tree, and then made it change direction.

This seemed to have caught the other Pokémon off-guard, and Cassandra heard a high-pitched shriek as the Shadow Ball hit its target.

"Oh! I got it!" Cassandra exclaimed, and hurried over to get a good look at it before it could try to flee again.

Cassandra saw a purple ghost-like Pokémon hovering just above the ground. As she looked at the hat-like tufts on the ghost Pokémon's head and the gems on the dress-like body, Cassandra realized that it looked very much like the figure from her vision. The Mismagius trembled as it looked up slightly, and two red eyes were barely visible under the rim of the "hat".

"What do you want…?" the Mismagius muttered softly, before suddenly looking right into Cassandra's eyes and screaming. "What do you _want_!?"

* * *

**End of Chapter 34**


	35. This has nothing to do with you!

* * *

_"_ _Cassandra was standing face-to-face with the Mismagius, but was caught off guard by its sudden change in demeanor. It was understandable that the Mismagius was angry with her for attacking her, but Cassandra just hadn't been able to think of any other way to stop her from trying to avoid her. With the Mismagius looking at her with such an intense glare, Cassandra just couldn't bring herself to say a single word._

_And then…"_

* * *

"… Well? Answer me!" the Mismagius shouted, glaring at Cassandra. "Don't just _stand there_!"

"I… I…" Cassandra stuttered, desperately trying to figure out how to respond. "I was just…"

"You were what?" the Mismagius asked, still glaring at Cassandra.

"I… I just needed to…" Cassandra sputtered, nervously taking a step back as the Mismagius hovered closer to her.

"Needed _what_?" the Mismagius asked. "Spit it out!"

Before Cassandra had the change to say anything else, they suddenly heard the sound of thunder in the distance. Cassandra briefly glanced upwards upon hearing the sound, but as far as she could see past the silver trees, there weren't any dark clouds to be seen. As she looked down, she suddenly noticed that the Mismagius' expression had suddenly gone from anger to… fear?

"No…" the Mismagius muttered, visibly trembling again. "Don't tell me he's…"

* * *

_"_ _The Mismagius suddenly flew off in a hurry, deeper into the forest. While she had a bad feeling about it, Cassandra decided to follow. It was even more difficult not to lose sight of the Mismagius this time, but Cassandra just had to know what was going on. It didn't take long before Cassandra suddenly felt a shift in the environment and a chill went down her spine. As she glanced up, she noticed a red cloud in the sky, which was crackling with electricity…"_

* * *

_"_ _That doesn't look like a normal weather phenomenon to me…"_ Cassandra thought to herself, looking around a bit and noticing that there didn't seem to be any other clouds around it. _"I don't think I've seen anything like that before… Ugh, I'm getting a really bad feeling from it…"_

Cassandra almost felt a little sick, but decided to keep going anyways. Eventually, she spotted the Mismagius again, and it seemed to be looking up at something. Stopping just behind the Mismagius, she noticed that the first Mismagius was looking up at _another_ Mismagius. The other Mismagius was snickering as it looked up at the red cloud, and judging from the glow from the red gems on its neck, it was probably the second Mismagius who was creating the strange cloud.

"Yes… more… _more_ …" the second Mismagius said, and Cassandra noted that this Mismagius had a deeper voice than the first Mismagius. This second Mismagius was probably male.

Suddenly, lightning from the red cloud struck some of the branches on the nearby trees, setting them on fire. While both Cassandra and the first Mismagius were both horrified, the second Mismagius just laughed as the silvery leaves burned to a crisp.

"No…" the first Mismagius muttered, before suddenly raising her arms, which looked like two sleeves on her dress-like body. "Stop this!"

The red gems on the first Mismagius' body shone, and a breeze began to blow through the area. Cassandra thought she heard a whisper in the wind, something that sounded like an incantation of some kind. Somehow, it felt soothing. The second Mismagius was startled as the wind blew out the flames, and looked down to see the first Mismagius. The second Mismagius sighed, and made the red cloud dissipate.

"Pandora…" the second Mismagius said, shaking his head. "Why'd you interrupt my little experiment?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the first Mismagius cried out. "You could've burned the whole forest down!"

"Relax, I had everything under control," the second Mismagius responded, smirking. "I bet I could've made it even bigger if I tried…"

"Don't even think about it!" Pandora exclaimed, glaring at the other Mismagius.

"What are you so upset about?" the second Mismagius asked.

"Erebos, you need to stop using this dark magic," Pandora responded. "I keep telling you; these spells are dangerous!"

"Yes, you keep saying that," Erebos replied, shaking his head. "However, I really think you're overreacting. All I want is to truly understand the full potential of these dark spells, and there really is no better way to do that than actually _using_ them."

"I'm _not_ overreacting!" Pandora yelled. "You don't realize what these spells are doing to you!"

"You worry too much, little sister," Erebos responded, smirking. "By the way, who is that Gothitelle over there?"

"Gothitelle…?" Pandora replied, turning around and noticing Cassandra. "You're still here?"

"I… I was just wondering what was going on…" Cassandra said, looking down sheepishly.

"This doesn't concern you!" Pandora shouted, glaring at Cassandra. "Just… go home! There's nothing to see here!"

Cassandra nodded her head, and began walking back in the direction she came from. It was probably best to leave these Mismagius siblings alone, for now. Cassandra was certain she would be coming back here later, though. After all, those things the two Mismagius talked about… Cassandra was certain that it was related to the vision she had.

"Ah, there you are!" a familiar voice called out, and Cassandra looked up to see a certain Alakazam hovering towards her.

"Simon," Cassandra said, smiling at him. "I'm glad you're here."

"I told you I'd be catching up, didn't I?" Simon responded, grinning. "So, did you find anything?"

"Yes, I guess I did…" Cassandra replied, nodding her head slightly. "For now, I think it's best to head back to town, though."

"That is probably a good idea," Simon responded, looking up at the sky. "It is getting pretty late, after all."

* * *

_"_ _That night, Cassandra watched the stars carefully, waiting to see if another vision would come. While she had a few visions, none of them showed Silver Woods or the two Mismagius. Eventually, she fell asleep. The next morning, she began thinking about what to do. After a while, she decided to find Simon, and ask him to send her back into Silver Woods."_

* * *

Cassandra walked through town, carrying a rolled up piece of paper under her arm. A few Pokémon were standing around and talking about things, others were looking at today's selections at the nearby shops. There seemed to be a lot of Pokémon gathered around a stand where a yellow flower-like Pokémon with pink petals was selling fresh berries, and the Cherrim was cheerfully telling the different Pokémon about what types of berries she had for sale today.

Cassandra wondered if the other Pokémon were really as satisfied as most of them to be with their lives, or if there might be some who secretly felt the way she did.

"Good morning, Cassandra!" a familiar voice called out, and Cassandra looked up to see Simon approaching her.

"Simon, good timing," Cassandra said, smiling at him. "I need you to take me back to Silver Woods."

"Oh? You want to go back there so soon?" Simon asked.

"There's… something I think I should investigate," Cassandra responded.

"All right, if you say so," Simon replied, nodding his head slightly.

"Thanks, Simon," Cassandra responded, smiling. "Think there's a chance you can teleport us to where we left off last night, so that we don't need to go through that mystery dungeon again?"

"Hmm… I suppose I can try," Simon replied, holding out his hands. "Just hold onto me, and don't let go."

"You never letting go of those spoons kind of makes holding hands with you a little awkward, you know," Cassandra commented, chuckling a little as she held onto Simon's hands.

"I suppose it does," Simon responded, chuckling a bit. "Well, let's head off, shall we?"

* * *

Only a few seconds later, Cassandra and Simon found themselves in Silver Woods once again. This time, they appeared at the area they had arrived at upon exiting the mystery dungeon. Cassandra let go of Simon's hands, and looked around.

"Thanks, Simon," Cassandra said, smiling at him.

"You're welcome," Simon responded, smiling back.

Cassandra then handed the piece of paper she had been carrying to Simon.

"Here, I wrote down a list of mystery dungeons where someone might get lost in the near future," Cassandra explained. "Take it with you, and head back to town."

"Wait… You don't want me to come with you?" Simon asked.

"Well, if a Pokémon gets lost in a mystery dungeon, someone needs to tell the ones looking for them where to find them," Cassandra explained. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure, Cassandra?" Simon asked, looking somewhat concerned.

"I'm sure," Cassandra responded, nodding her head. "Just come back later to take me back home, okay?"

"If you say so," Simon replied. "I'll come back before the sun goes down."

* * *

_"_ _After Simon went back to town, Cassandra went off to look for the two Mismagius. As she went deeper into the forest, she thought about what she was going to do or say once she found them. She figured the first thing she had to do was apologize to Pandora about attacking her before. Of course, Pandora might not be too willing to talk to her, but she still had to try it._

_She had to go even deeper into the forest than she did last time, but finally, she came across Pandora once more…"_

* * *

"There she is…" Cassandra whispered to herself as she finally saw Pandora.

She quietly approached the Mismagius, and eventually cleared her throat to get Pandora's attention. Startled, Pandora turned around.

"What? You're here _again_!?" Pandora exclaimed, glaring at Cassandra. "What do you want now?"

"I… I wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday," Cassandra responded, looking down at the ground.

"Is that all?" Pandora asked, sighing. "It's fine, don't worry about it. Just _leave_."

Cassandra was about to say something, when she suddenly heard someone snickering behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see that Erebos had suddenly appeared behind her. He seemed amused by Cassandra's startled expression, before simply floating right through her and over to Pandora.

"Pandora, my dear little sister, what are you doing?" Erebos asked, still snickering a little. "That is no way to talk to a surprise visitor."

Pandora simply crossed her arms and looked away, not bothering to respond.

"So, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?" Erebos asked, looking over at Cassandra with interest.

"Um… My name is Cassandra," Cassandra responded, feeling a bit nervous by the way Erebos was looking at her. "I'm the town oracle of Illumine Town."

"Ooh, is that so?" Erebos inquired, smirking. "That's pretty far away from here, isn't it?"

"Um… Yes," Cassandra responded, nodding her head slightly. "I asked my friend to teleport me here."

"When will your friend be back?" Pandora asked, glancing over at Cassandra.

"Very interesting," Erebos commented, ignoring Pandora. "So, what brings you all the way to a place like this?"

"It's… kind of hard to explain," Cassandra responded, looking away.

"Well, as long as you're here, perhaps you could help me out with something?" Erebos asked, snickering a little. "You see, there's this spell I've wanted to try out for a while, but I need something living to try it out on…"

"Erebos!" Pandora exclaimed, giving him a stern look. "I will _not_ allow you to do anything to this Gothitelle!"

"Not even if she agrees?" Erebos asked, before turning back to Cassandra. "What do you say, miss Cassandra?"

"Um… I don't think I can help you," Cassandra responded, shaking her head.

"Oh, too bad," Erebos replied, seeming a bit disappointed. "Guess I'll just have to find someone else, then!"

"No!" Pandora responded. "You're not trying out any spells on anybody!"

"Pandora, are you going to be like this all day?" Erebos asked. "You don't need to get so worked up about everything, you know."

Pandora seemed like she was about to say something, but then just stopped and sighed sadly, turning away. Cassandra wondered how long things had been like this between the two Mismagius.

* * *

_"_ _Cassandra was starting to get an idea of what her vision had been about. The dark magic Erebos seemed so fascinated by… Perhaps it was going to cause some sort of disaster in the future. Cassandra wasn't sure what to do, but knew she had to do something to try to prevent it. She could tell Pandora was troubled by what was happening, and she wanted to do something for her._

_However, she didn't know what to do. Realizing that she probably needed a second opinion, she decided to tell Simon about her vision and the two Mismagius…"_

* * *

"… So, that's what's troubling you," Simon said as Cassandra finished explaining.

"Sorry I didn't tell you before," Cassandra responded, telekinetically setting down two cups of tea on the table.

"Well, I'm not sure what to tell you," Simon replied, stirring his cup of tea with one of his spoons. "I don't have much experience with preventing potential disasters in the future."

"I feel really bad for Pandora…" Cassandra said, staring down into her cup of tea. "I was thinking that, maybe… if I became friends with her… maybe something would change."

"Do you think that can prevent whatever your vision warned about?" Simon asked.

"I don't know," Cassandra responded, sighing. "I can't think of much else I can do, though…"

"Well, I suppose it is worth a try," Simon said, taking a sip of his tea. "How do you plan on going about befriending her, though?"

"I'm not sure," Cassandra responded. "I didn't really make all that good of a first impression on her, and she doesn't really seem all that interested in talking to me."

"Considering the situation, it's likely that part of her attitude comes from having much bigger concerns at the moment," Simon commented. "Perhaps she doesn't want anyone else to get involved, or thinks it is better to try to handle the situation on her own?"

"Probably…" Cassandra replied, nodding her head slightly. "I can't just leave this alone, though…"

* * *

_"_ _After a few days of nothing out of the ordinary happening, Cassandra decided to head back into Silver Woods to speak to Pandora once more. She had taken some time to think about how to go about trying to befriend the troubled Mismagius, and hoped that she at the very least could convince Pandora to give her a chance. When she finally found Pandora…"_

* * *

"Oh, where is he now…?" Pandora muttered under her breath, as she quickly flew past several trees. "I have a bad feeling about this…"

Seeing Pandora like this, Cassandra had a fairly good idea of what might be going on. Maybe this was a bad time to try to talk to her, but then again, Pandora might appreciate some help in locating her brother. Cassandra decided to take the chance, and stepped forward.

"Do you need any help?" Cassandra asked, waving to Pandora.

"… Why do you keep coming back here?" Pandora responded incredulously, before sighing and shaking her head. "And no, I don't need any help! I can handle this on my own!"

"Are you sure?" Cassandra asked, looking somewhat concerned. "You're looking for your brother, right?"

"This has nothing to do with you!" Pandora responded. "Please, just leave me alone…"

"But I might be able to help you!" Cassandra replied. "My mother often said that even if one is capable of handling a specific task on their own, one will often get things done faster with the help of others."

"… You're not going away, are you?" Pandora asked, glancing over at Cassandra.

"I know it's a bit strange for me to keep coming back here," Cassandra responded, looking down with a sheepish smile. "I first came here because I had a strange vision about this place, and… I think your brother and his dark magic may have been involved."

"You… had a vision about my brother?" Pandora asked.

"I'm not really sure what I saw happen in my vision," Cassandra explained. "But… I have a bad feeling about it. That's why I want to help you."

"But whether you had a vision or not, that doesn't really change the situation here," Pandora responded. "We don't even know each other, so why do you want to help me? Why keep coming all the way out here for a total stranger?"

"Well… It's just the way I feel, I guess," Cassandra replied, thinking about it for a few moments. "I'm not entirely sure how to explain it…"

"So, you can't give me a clear answer?" Pandora asked, looking away. "You can't give me a good reason for why I should allow you to help me?"

"I… I guess not…" Cassandra responded, looking down at the ground. "Maybe I just… hoped this could lead to something... Something different from what I'm used to…"

"What do you mean?" Pandora asked, glancing over at Cassandra curiously.

"Things have been quiet and peaceful for quite some time, with no major problems for the Pokémon living in my hometown," Cassandra explained. "Most of the Pokémon living there are happy with the way things are now, but… I guess I'm just different…"

"Different?" Pandora inquired, before looking around. "… Oh, what am I doing? I'm going to waste too much time if I don't keep looking…" Pandora sighed, and then turned back to Cassandra. "I need to find my brother. If you're going to explain more about your reasons for coming here, then help me look for Erebos while you talk."

Cassandra smiled as Pandora finally accepted her help, and used her psychic powers to float alongside Pandora as the two of them searched for Erebos. As they looked around, Cassandra told Pandora more about her hometown and how she felt about her position.

"Hmm… I think I'm starting to understand," Pandora said, glancing at Cassandra. "You're not doing this for my sake."

"Huh? What makes you say that?" Cassandra asked, looking over at Pandora.

"Oh, just admit it," Pandora responded with a slight smirk. "You're unsatisfied with your current life and you want to have a bigger purpose. Then you had a vision, giving you just the excuse you needed to get away from that boring little town for a bit."

"Well, I… I guess that might be true…" Cassandra replied, blushing slightly.

"I bet you're also hoping to find your true purpose in life by doing this," Pandora said, snickering a little. "Trying to get closer to me is just a means to an end, isn't it?"

"W-When you say it like that; you make it seem kind of selfish…" Cassandra responded, looking away in embarrassment.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Pandora replied. "Everyone is a little selfish at times, aren't they?"

"Um… I guess?" Cassandra responded.

"And I think that's perfectly fine," Pandora said, nodding her head slightly. "That's why I don't think selfishness is really a bad thing."

"Hmm… I guess that makes sense," Cassandra responded, thoughtfully holding a hand to her chin.

Suddenly, both of them sensed something strange. They both hurried over to see what was going on, and soon spotted Erebos focusing on a glowing patch of grass, chanting some sort of spell.

"Erebos, what are you doing?" Pandora exclaimed.

Startled, Erebos turned around to see Pandora and Cassandra. He then noticed that the green glow was fading, and to his dismay, it faded away before he could finish the spell.

"Pandora, why'd you have to interrupt my spell?" Erebos asked, looking rather annoyed. "I was trying to create a giant parasitic plant that would eventually spread throughout the entire forest!"

"Why would you want to do that?" Pandora responded.

"Well, why not?" Erebos replied, shrugging slightly. "Guess I'll just have to start over…"

"Erebos…" Pandora said, giving him a stern look.

"What's the matter?" Erebos asked.

"You know perfectly well what it is!" Pandora responded. "These "experiments" of yours with the dark magic keep threatening to damage the forest, and you don't even care! Please, Erebos, you have to stop it!"

"Hmm… You're worried about the forest…?" Erebos replied, thinking for a moment before smirking. "So, you'd be okay with it if I did my experiments somewhere else?"

"No!" Pandora responded, shaking her head. "That's not what I meant!"

Erebos just chuckled, before turning his attention to Cassandra.

"Ah, I see you're here again too," Erebos commented, grinning. "Did you change your mind about helping me test that spell?"

"Um… No," Cassandra responded, taking a few steps back and shaking her head.

"Oh, that's too bad," Erebos replied, shrugging slightly. "Well, if you _do_ change your mind, let me know!"

"She won't!" Pandora shouted, glaring at Erebos.

"Pandora, you really need to calm down," Erebos responded. "Anyways, I think I'll head home now."

Erebos floated past Pandora and Cassandra with a slight smirk on his face, while Pandora just sighed. Cassandra wasn't sure what to say to Pandora, if anything.

"… I should probably be heading home too," Pandora said, looking over at Cassandra. "What about you?"

"Hmm… Simon should be coming to pick me up soon," Cassandra responded. "He'll take me back home."

"I see," Pandora replied, nodding her head slightly. "Hey, Cassandra… You don't have to get involved in this…"

"Huh? But I want to help you…" Cassandra responded.

"I understand that you want to be able to help someone else, but I don't think there's much you can do for me," Pandora replied, closing her eyes. "You'd only put yourself into danger, and I don't want that."

Cassandra wasn't sure what to say.

"I'm sure you can find the purpose you're looking for elsewhere," Pandora said, not turning around to look at Cassandra. "So, don't worry about me."

"Pandora, I…" Cassandra responded, still unsure of what to say.

"Cassandra, I do appreciate that you were willing to help me, even if it was for your own sake," Pandora replied, looking over at Cassandra with a small smile on her face. "I… hope you'll find your happiness."

"… What about you, Pandora?" Cassandra asked. "What will happen to you?"

"I don't know," Pandora responded, shaking her head. "But… that's my problem, not yours. I hope you understand."

Pandora floated away in the direction Erebos flew off in, leaving Cassandra behind.

"Pandora…" Cassandra muttered to herself while staring in the direction Pandora went.

* * *

**End of Chapter 35**


	36. But I don't want you to suffer either!

* * *

_"_ _Cassandra understood why Pandora wanted her to stay away, but it just didn't feel right to do so. After Simon brought her back home, Cassandra waited for the sun to go down so she could seek answers in the stars. And so she stayed awake until late at night, staring at the stars shining in the night sky in hopes of seeing something, anything that could help her figure out what to do. She stayed up as long as she could, until she eventually couldn't stay awake anymore and fell asleep._

_The next morning…"_

* * *

Simon was on his way to see Cassandra. Since she had seemed rather troubled after her last encounter with Pandora in Silver Woods, he felt it was best to check on her and see if there was anything she wanted to talk about. As he was making his way through town, he happened to come across a certain Dodrio.

"Hello there, Simon!" the head in the middle cheerfully greeted him.

"Oh, hi there… um…" Simon responded, scratching his head with one of his spoons as he tried to remember the name of the three-headed bird.

"What, you don't remember our name?" the Dodrio's middle head asked, looking a bit confused.

"Well, we don't know him that well," the left head commented. "Still, one would think someone who is supposedly among the most intelligent species of Pokémon would at least know the names of some of his neighbors."

"I bet it's because he only has eyes for Cassandra!" the head on the right said, giggling a little.

"Huh?" Simon replied, blushing slightly. "W-What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, don't pretend you don't know!" the head on the right responded, winking.

"Our name is Era, by the way," the head on the left said.

"Right, Era…" Simon responded, nodding his head slightly. "Yes, I admit that I don't really know most of the Pokémon around here all that well. I tend to spend most of my time at home, reading."

"I see," Era's left head replied, nodding slightly. "By the way, what has Cassandra been up to these days?"

"We haven't seen her around town much recently," Era's middle head said while tilting slightly to the side.

"Well, she's been busy," Simon responded. "It's nothing you need to be concerned about."

Simon then continued on his way, waving to Era as he left. The Dodrio's three head exchanged glances as Simon walked away.

"Do you think he's hiding something?" the left head asked, looking over at the other two.

"I'm not sure…" the head in the middle said. "Richter did say he suspected that something was going on, but I can't tell if there is something or not…"

"Me neither," the head on the right responded. "I say we forget about it, and find a good place to run around!"

"Ooh, that's a great idea," the middle head replied, nodding excitedly.

"… Okay," the left head said. "I guess whatever those psychic types are up to isn't any of our business, anyways."

* * *

Simon walked up to the stone building, and peeked inside. He couldn't see Cassandra, but could sense her psychic signature. He decided to teleport inside, disappearing in a burst of light and then reappearing on the second floor of the building. Cassandra was asleep on the floor next to her bed, snoring lightly and occasionally mumbling something in her sleep. Simon gently poked her with one of his spoons to see if she would react.

"Mm… What do you mean you lost the hammer…?" Cassandra muttered in her sleep as she turned over onto her side. "Ah… It exploded…"

"… I'm guessing you were up all night looking at the stars again," Simon whispered.

Simon smiled and carefully used his psychic power to telekinetically lift up Cassandra and place her down gently onto her bed. He then teleported out of the room, deciding to wait outside the building until Cassandra was ready to wake up.

* * *

Cassandra didn't seem to realize that she had been moved from where she fell asleep as she slowly opened her eyes. She sat up on her bed, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She then glanced up at the sky, holding her hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun.

"Mm… I wonder what time it is…" Cassandra muttered. "Can't really remember when I feel asleep either…"

Once she was fully awake, Cassandra could feel a familiar psychic signature. She quickly headed down the stairs and went outside to see Simon.

"Ah, you're finally awake," Simon said, smiling at Cassandra. "Did you sleep well?"

"I don't know," Cassandra responded, shrugging slightly.

"You have a lot to think about, don't you?" Simon asked.

"Pandora said not to get involved," Cassandra responded, sighing. "But… I don't think she'll be okay on her own…"

"She's worried you might end up in danger if you stay around her and her brother," Simon said, tapping a spoon against his forehead. "While you're worried about the danger _she_ might end up in if left alone…"

"I guess that about sums it up…" Cassandra responded, nodding her head slightly.

"So… What will you do?" Simon asked.

"I… I won't give up," Cassandra replied, looking down at the ground. "I still don't know what to do, but I know I won't find any answers if I do nothing."

"I see," Simon responded, nodding his head. "If that is how you feel, then I suppose I'll just have to trust your instincts."

"I'm even sure if _I_ trust my own instincts," Cassandra said, looking up at some clouds in the sky. "… Maybe it's selfish of me, but… Pandora said she doesn't think selfishness is a bad thing, so… surely she'll understand."

"Whatever you do, just be careful," Simon responded, looking down at the ground. "If anything were to happen to you, I…"

"Huh?" Cassandra replied, looking over at Simon.

"Oh, um… Never mind," Simon responded, looking away.

"Hey…" Cassandra said, smiling as she walked up to Simon and placed her hands on his face, looking into his eyes. "I'll be fine, I promise!"

"How do you know that?" Simon asked, staring into Cassandra's blue eyes.

"I don't," Cassandra responded, shaking her head. "But, just trust me, okay?"

"Of course," Simon replied, smiling at her. "I do believe in you, Cassandra."

 _"_ _Well, at least one of us does, then,"_ Cassandra thought, while keeping a smile on her face as she answered Simon. "Good."

"So, let me know when you're ready to head back into Silver Woods," Simon said. "I will also do my best, for you."

"Thanks, Simon," Cassandra responded, nodding her head slightly. "Knowing that you're supporting me… it makes me really happy. I don't know what I ever did to deserve a friend as good as you."

* * *

_"_ _And so once again, Cassandra headed back into Silver Woods, while Simon would stay behind in town to help deal with any problems Cassandra had predicted and written down. Even if the Pokémon in Illumine Town were starting to suspect something, Cassandra felt that checking on the situation with Pandora and Erebos was more important. Besides, the Pokémon of the town would be just fine without her, so she didn't really feel as if she needed to be there._

_While looking for Pandora, she eventually came across Erebos…"_

* * *

"Well, if it isn't Cassandra!" Erebos said, smirking. "We've been seeing each other a lot these past few days, haven't we?"

"Uh… Hi, Erebos," Cassandra replied, smiling nervously. "Um… Do you know where Pandora is?"

"Ah, so you're here to see Pandora," Erebos responded, nodding his head slightly. "Follow me; I'll take you to her!"

"Oh, thanks, Erebos!" Cassandra replied. "That's really nice of you."

"Don't mention it," Erebos responded, snickering a little. "And in return, you could maybe help me try out one of my spells?"

"Uh… I don't think so," Cassandra replied, shaking her head.

"I thought so," Erebos said, shrugging slightly. "It was a worth a shot, though. Come on, let's find Pandora."

Cassandra followed Erebos until they reached a big tent built around a large hollow tree in the darkest part of the forest.

"Is this where you live?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes, it is," Erebos responded, nodding his head. "Not a lot of Pokémon come this far into this forest, so it's nice and quiet for the most part."

"I see…" Cassandra replied, looking around.

"Come on, let's go inside," Erebos said, floating inside the tent. "Look, Pandora! You've got a visitor!"

Pandora looked up from a scroll of healing spells she was reading, and was surprised to see Cassandra.

"Cassandra, why are you here?" Pandora exclaimed.

"Because I wanted to see you again," Cassandra responded, smiling at Pandora. "I want to get to know you better, Pandora."

"Why?" Pandora replied, crossing her arms and trying to look aloof. "There's nothing interesting about me."

"You're a ghost type Pokémon with magical powers," Cassandra said. "What's not interesting about that?"

"She's right, you know!" Erebos commented, snickering a little. "So, how about I go get some refreshments while you girls talk?"

"Wait a minute!" Pandora said, glaring at Erebos. "Just _where_ do you think you're going?"

"Something wrong, little sister?" Erebos asked, glancing over at Pandora.

"I know what you're up to," Pandora responded, still glaring at Erebos.

"Relax; I'm not going to experiment with my dark magic somewhere in the forest while you and Cassandra are talking, if that's what you think," Erebos replied, with a slight smirk on his face.

"I don't believe you," Pandora responded.

"Oh? You really think I'd lie to you?" Erebos asked.

"You lie to me all the time!" Pandora responded, waving her arms in frustration.

"Oh… right," Erebos replied, chuckling a little. "Anyways, you girls have fun! I'll see you later!"

Before Pandora had the chance to protest, Erebos quickly flew off somewhere. Pandora sighed, and shook her head.

"I wish we had never found those dark magic scrolls…" Pandora muttered.

"I'm guessing Erebos wasn't always like this?" Cassandra asked, sitting down in front of a table.

"Well… My older brother was always kind of mischievous, and would use his magical powers to play tricks on others," Pandora responded, sighing. "He's also always been very curious, wanting to learn everything he can about magic… I used to admire that, until it got us into this mess…"

"What happened?" Cassandra asked.

"We heard a rumor, of magic scrolls which supposedly held forbidden magic that had been locked in a chest and hidden deep inside a cave to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands," Pandora explained, hovering over to the other side of the table to face Cassandra as they spoke. "Erebos wanted to investigate the cave, and… we found it, a chest full of magic scrolls."

"And then what?" Cassandra asked.

"We looked at the different scrolls, and Erebos decided to try casting one of the spells to see if it worked," Pandora explained. "I… I tried to stop him, but he cast the spell anyways… The magic was too powerful for him to control, and well… long story short, we were lucky that my Rain Dance move was enough to put out the flames."

"Oh my…" Cassandra replied.

"We both agreed to just bury the scrolls somewhere and never try using them again, but… while I was resting that night, Erebos snuck out and retrieved the scrolls," Pandora explained, sighing. "When I caught him using another one of those spells, he claimed that he just wanted to try _one_ more spell… of course, that was only the beginning…"

"I see…" Cassandra responded, nodding her head.

"Erebos became more and more obsessed with unlocking the true power of the forbidden spells," Pandora explained. "It became more and more difficult to reason with him… at this point, he doesn't even seem to care about what I have to say…"

"Why don't you just destroy the scrolls?" Cassandra asked, tilting her head slightly. "That way, he wouldn't be able to use them anymore, right?"

"I've tried," Pandora responded, closing her eyes and turning away. "He… caught me trying to burn them, and then he…"

"He… _attacked_ you?" Cassandra asked, staring wide-eyed.

"Yes…" Pandora responded, nodding her head slightly. "When I regained consciousness, he had hidden the scrolls somewhere and put a spell on the box containing them so I wouldn't be able to reach them without alerting him to it…"

"So, there's nothing else you can do?" Cassandra asked.

"I don't know…" Pandora responded, shaking her head. "Just like you, I too am desperately seeking answers… Erebos is the only family I have, so if I can't save him…"

"Pandora, please let me help you," Cassandra said, holding out her hand. "I don't know what I can do for you, but at the very least, I want to support you."

"No, I don't want anyone else to get hurt," Pandora responded. "That's why I don't want you involved in this."

"I understand that," Cassandra replied, nodding her head slightly. "But I don't want _you_ to suffer either!"

"… Why do you have to make this so difficult?" Pandora asked, shaking her head.

"I care about you," Cassandra responded, placing a hand on her own chest. "I can't just ignore this."

"… I guess nothing I say will stop you," Pandora said, sighing.

"So, will you give me a chance, Pandora?" Cassandra asked, smiling.

"… Okay, fine," Pandora responded, nodding her head slightly.

"Thank you, Pandora," Cassandra replied, grinning. "I promise you won't regret it!"

"Well, whether I end up regretting it or not is not really anything you can control," Pandora responded, before glancing around with a skeptical look. "… Erebos sure is taking an awfully long time to get those 'refreshments'…"

* * *

Erebos snickered as he observed the small town from a distance, the Pokémon in it going about their usual business without any worries. He rubbed his sleeve-like hands together as he glanced around thoughtfully.

"So, that's Illumine Town…" Erebos muttered to himself, smirking. "Looks like a boring place. No wonder Cassandra would much rather hang out with my sister."

Erebos conjured up a dark mist, from which a few scrolls materialized.

"I could probably make the place a lot more exciting with my magic," Erebos said, glancing at the scrolls while thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "As a present of sorts for Cassandra…"

Erebos suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, the scrolls hovering in a circle around him. He then calmed down, the scrolls vanishing.

"On second thought, there are probably a lot of Pokémon living there," Erebos commented, tilting his head slightly to the side. "Probably at least a few strong ones I don't want to deal with right now…"

Erebos floated around back and forth for a few moments, before another smirk appeared on his face.

"Ah, but I bet there are a lot of mystery dungeons around here…" Erebos muttered to himself, glancing around as a sinister smile crossed his face. "Good places for experiments without any interruptions…"

* * *

Cassandra and Pandora were walking around in the forest, looking around for Erebos. Both of them felt uneasy not knowing what he was up to, but as far as they could tell, things were peaceful in the forest.

"I don't like this at all…" Pandora said, glancing over at Cassandra. "Can you feel anything?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary…" Cassandra responded, looking around.

"Well, if you sense anything at all that might lead us to him, let me know right away," Pandora said.

"Of course," Cassandra replied, nodding her head and smiling.

The two continued searching through the silver forest, but neither could detect any sign of Erebos' presence anywhere nearby. Of course, this just made Pandora even more nervous, and Cassandra wondered if there was anything she could do to help Pandora calm down a little.

"So… You've told me a bit about yourself," Cassandra said. "Is there anything you want to know about me?"

"Hmm… Well, there is one thing I've been wondering about…" Pandora responded, looking over at Cassandra. "Just how long have you been the oracle of your town?"

"Um… It's been a little less than a year," Cassandra replied, shrugging slightly. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I've noticed that you seem rather… inexperienced," Pandora responded.

"It's _that_ obvious, huh?" Cassandra commented, chuckling a little. "Well, yeah… I guess I kind of became the town oracle before I was really ready for it…"

"What do you mean?" Pandora inquired.

"It all happened pretty fast," Cassandra explained, glancing up at the sky visible between tree branches. "As my mother's only daughter, I was destined from birth to be the town oracle when I grew up."

"And, you were okay with that?" Pandora asked, tilting her head slightly. "I mean, having your future decided just like that…"

"Oh, I didn't mind at all," Cassandra responded, shaking her head and smiling. "My mother was really good at giving advice to and inspiring the other Pokémon in town, as well as getting them to work together when necessary."

"Hmm… You mentioned something about that before," Pandora commented, thinking for a moment. "Your mother used to say something about teamwork making it easier to do things faster?"

"Yes, she took those things very seriously," Cassandra responded, nodding her head. "I looked up to her, and I wanted to help others, so I was okay with following in her footsteps."

"I see," Pandora replied, nodding her head.

"She taught me things I needed to know about being the town oracle," Cassandra explained, closing her eyes for a moment. "She was always smiling, encouraging me to find my own path, my own way of helping others…"

"From the way you're talking… I'm guessing she's not around anymore?" Pandora asked.

"... I'm not entirely sure what it was," Cassandra responded as she stopped walking for a moment. "But… I could tell something was wrong with her."

Noticing that Cassandra had stopped walking, Pandora stopped moving as well.

"She kept her usual smile, acting as if nothing was wrong," Cassandra said, staring into the silver grass. "But… she knew perfectly well that she didn't have much time left… Before she succumbed to her illness, she apologized for having to leave so soon since there were still many things she wanted to teach me, but she also said she believed in me and that I would become a great oracle."

"… I see," Pandora responded, closing her eyes for a moment.

"It was a difficult time, but my friend Simon helped me get through it," Cassandra said, looking over at Pandora. "A few months later, I finally accepted the town oracle position, which the other Pokémon in town seemed happy about, even if some of them were a bit skeptical because of my age."

"… I'm sorry," Pandora replied, turning away.

Both Pokémon were silent for a few moments, before Cassandra looked up at the sky once again.

"… Pandora, do you think she can see me from the other side?" Cassandra asked.

"I'm not sure," Pandora responded, also looking up at the sky. "I know there probably is a connection between that world and ours; I don't know the exact details of how it works."

"Oh, you don't?" Cassandra asked, looking over at Pandora. "Huh, I figured that being a ghost-type, you would know that."

"I'm afraid not," Pandora replied, shaking her head.

"I see," Cassandra responded, nodding her head slightly.

The two were quiet for another few moments, before Pandora looked around and sighed.

"We should keep looking for Erebos," Pandora said.

"Yeah… Let's keep going," Pandora responded, nodding her head.

Cassandra and Pandora continued their search, but there were still no signs of Erebos.

 _"_ _Where is he?"_ Pandora thought to herself. _"Don't tell me he…"_

* * *

Meanwhile, in a lush mystery dungeon not far away from Illumine Town, a young Audino was hiding inside a hollow log while waiting for someone to come and deal with the wild Pokémon that were moving about on the floor. He could hear the footsteps of a larger Pokémon making its way towards the room he was in.

"Hurry up…" the Audino muttered, peeking out of the log.

The Audino soon spotted a familiar Swampert enter the room, and gave a sigh of relief.

"Richter, I'm over here!" the Audino said as he left his hiding spot.

"You okay, kid?" Richter asked, walking over to the Audino.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the Audino responded, nodding his head.

"Good," Richter replied, looking around. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"I had one of those blue things that could've teleported me out of here," the Audino explained. "But, I dropped it somewhere on this floor when the wild Pokémon started chasing me..."

"Understood," Richter responded, nodding his head. "Let's go find it, if it's still here."

"And if it isn't?" the Audino asked.

"Then we'll just have to walk," Richter responded.

The two began looking through the maze, trying to find the Escape Orb that the Audino had dropped. Eventually, they found a small blue orb… encased in ice.

"Oh, there it is…" the Audino exclaimed as he pointed to it. "But… why is it frozen?"

"Good question," Richter responded, holding a hand to his chin. "There aren't even any ice-type Pokémon living in this mystery dungeon…"

Richter picked up the ice cube, examining it for a moment before attempting to crush it in his hand. He then tried using both hands, but the ice cube around the orb remained intact.

"… No use, I can't break this ice," Richter said, putting it back down on the ground.

"Guess that means we can't use it to escape, huh…" the Audino commented, looking down at the frozen Escape Orb.

"Well, if it had worked, there's a chance the orb would've been destroyed too," Richter responded. "Anyways, let's just keep walking. I think I know where the stairs might be."

The two kept moving through the maze, looking for the way out. As they eventually reached the room with the stairs, they noticed that the floor was covered in ice, and a few wild Pokémon in the room were frozen in ice with frightened looks on their faces.

"Eek…!" the Audino exclaimed, looking around at the wild Pokémon encased in ice.

"… What happened here?" Richter wondered, being careful not to slip on the ice as he walked up to one of the frozen Pokémon to examine it.

"T-This is kind of creepy…" the Audino muttered, pressing his ear against the block of ice around one of the frozen Pokémon. "They're still alive, at least…"

"I don't think there's much we can do to help them, though," Richter responded.

"So… We just leave them like this?" the Audino asked, frowning a bit. "Will they be okay…?"

"I don't know," Richter responded, shaking his head. "Come on, let's keep going."

"R-Right…" the Audino replied, following Richter up the stairs.

* * *

Erebos snickered to himself as he returned to Silver Woods in the evening, and didn't seem particularly concerned when he heard a familiar voice.

"Erebos, where have you been all day!?" Pandora exclaimed, giving him a stern look.

"Ah, Pandora," Erebos responded, grinning. "Did you and Cassandra have fun today?"

"Answer my question!" Pandora shouted. "Where did you go? What were you doing?"

"That's a secret!" Erebos responded, winking.

"This isn't funny, Erebos!" Pandora replied, glaring at him. "If you don't tell me where you were, I'll…"

"You will… what, exactly?" Erebos inquired, leaning towards Pandora with a smirk on his face.

Pandora blinked a few times, before sighing and hanging her head so that her eyes were not visible under the brim of the hat-like tufts on her head. Erebos just snickered.

"I thought so," Erebos said as he with one of his sleeve-like hands caressed Pandora's "hat" while floating past Pandora. "You can't do _anything_ to me, Pandora. I'm the stronger of us two, and that's just how it is."

Pandora began to shiver, and as Erebos left, she bit her lip and wrapped her sleeve-like arms around herself as she started shaking more, her eyes still hidden under the brim of her "hat".

"Pandora…" Cassandra said, taking a few steps towards the Mismagius.

"I'm not strong enough…" Pandora muttered under her breath, tightening her grip on herself to try to get herself to stop shaking. "I… I need to be stronger…"

* * *

_"_ _Cassandra couldn't stand to see how Pandora was treated by her older twin brother, and wondered just what she could do about this situation. Surely, if she and Pandora put their minds together, they were bound to find some sort of solution? However, unbeknownst to Cassandra, the situation was already starting to escalate to a point where Pandora and Erebos' well-being was not the only thing at stake…"_

* * *

**End of Chapter 36**


	37. Well, I... I guess it has been a while since I had a reason to smile...

* * *

_"Cassandra and Pandora agreed to spend the next few days looking over different magic spells, in hopes of finding something that could help them in their current situation. Surely, there had to be some way they could stop Erebos before things got worse. Later that night, while Cassandra was seeking answers from the stars…"_

* * *

Cassandra carefully watched the stars through the opening in the ceiling, hoping to see something that could give her an idea of what to do next. At first, it seemed as if the visions were just going to be of the mundane kind, showing what the weather would be and what would be going on around town. However, the visions of the various mystery dungeons were much different than normal.

Cassandra saw glimpses of a sickly green mist filling a mystery dungeon, the wild Pokémon in it suddenly acting more aggressive as it spread. She then saw the floor of another mystery dungeon slowly freezing over, while another mystery dungeon seemed to have black, thorny vines sprouting from the ground and rapidly growing to cover the walls.

"These visions…" Cassandra muttered, staring at the sky. "Is it Erebos' work…?"

As she concentrated a bit harder, she heard Erebos laughing maniacally and saw his silhouette surrounded by red wisps of fire as he hovered above one of the mystery dungeons.

"This is bad…" Cassandra whispered. "I didn't think he would come here…"

Cassandra sighed, and thoughtfully held a hand to her chin as she paced around inside the room, pondering what to do next.

"Perhaps I may have to inform the other Pokémon in town about Erebos and Pandora in the near future…" Cassandra said, glancing up at the sky again. "I wonder _why_ he'd come here, though…"

Cassandra frowned as she thought about it for a moment.

"It couldn't be… my fault, could it?" she wondered out loud. "I guess… he might've gotten the idea of coming here since he knows that this is where I'm from…"

Cassandra sighed and sat down on her bed.

"Maybe I should just get some sleep…" Cassandra said, yawning. "I'll try to figure out what to do about this tomorrow…"

Cassandra lay down and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and trying to clear her mind. Of course, it wasn't easy to relax at a time like this. Still, she had to try to get some rest so she would be able to think clearly about what to do and how to do it. She would probably have to talk to both Simon and Pandora about it too.

* * *

The next day, as Cassandra was walking through town, she couldn't help but glance over at some of the Pokémon standing around as she overheard their conversations. It seemed they were talking about seeing some strange things in the mystery dungeons, and Cassandra immediately knew what had to be the cause.

 _"Better find Simon…"_ Cassandra thought to herself. _"I wonder if he already heard about this…"_

She continued walking, but suddenly she heard someone calling her and turned to see a Swampert approaching her.

"Oh, hello there, Richter," Cassandra said, waving to him.

"Hi," Richter responded, waving back. "There are some things I'd like to ask you…"

"Huh?" Cassandra replied, glancing around nervously. "Um… Okay, but make it quick."

"Okay," Richter responded, nodding his head. "The other day, I came across something… rather disturbing in one of the mystery dungeons…"

"Cassandra!" three voices called out in unison, Cassandra turned to see Era running over to her and Richter.

"Hey, where have you been the past few days?" the middle head asked. "Strange stuff is happening, and it's like, really… really strange stuff!"

"O-Oh, is that so?" Cassandra responded, giggling nervously.

"Cassandra!" more voices called out, and soon more Pokémon were gathering around.

"Hey, do you have any idea what's going on in the mystery dungeons?" a concerned Leavanny asked.

"Well, I…" Cassandra responded, glancing around at the small crowd of Pokémon.

"What should we do about it?" a purple feline with a long tail and yellow circle patterns in its fur asked, the Liepard's green eyes watching Cassandra intently. "Do we just stay away from the mystery dungeons?"

"Um… Maybe?" Cassandra replied, shrugging slightly while looking around and trying to figure out how to escape.

"What have you been up to the past few days, anyways?" a winged, bipedal mantis-like Pokémon with a red metallic body asked. "Is it connected to the strange things happening?"

"It… might be…" Cassandra responded, nervously rubbing the white ribbon-like feeler on the back of her head.

"Mmph mmmm mmmph?" a gray Pokémon resembling a rag doll with a closed zipper for a mouth asked, or at least Cassandra _thought_ it was asking a question based on the questioning tone.

"Uh… I'll have to get back to you on that one…" Cassandra responded.

"Are you hiding something?" the Liepard asked, giving Cassandra an accusing look.

"If you know what is going on, please tell us!" the Leavanny said.

"Mmph _mmmmph_!" the Banette added.

"Guys, calm down!" Cassandra exclaimed, using her psychic powers to float past the small crowd of Pokémon. "Listen, I'll answer all of your questions later, but right now I need to go talk to Simon!"

Cassandra hurried off before the other Pokémon had the chance to say anything else, and once she had left, a few of them muttered something among themselves as they went off in different directions.

"… What is she _thinking_?" Richter muttered, before sighing and shaking his head.

* * *

After getting away from the other Pokémon, it didn't take long for Cassandra to find Simon, much to her relief. She explained to him what she had seen in her vision, and what had happened on the way there.

"… I see," Simon responded, nodding his head slightly. "But why didn't you just tell the other Pokémon in town about what is going on?"

"I will," Cassandra replied, sighing. "I just… I need to talk to Pandora about it first."

"So, you want me to teleport you to Silver Woods?" Simon asked.

"Yes," Cassandra responded, nodding her head. "Send me there now."

"If you say so…" Simon replied, holding Cassandra's hands and closing his eyes as he mentally pictured their destination.

* * *

_"Arriving in Silver Woods, Cassandra immediately went off to find Pandora while Simon teleported back to town. She headed deeper into the forest until she came across Pandora, who was searching for her brother. The two headed over to Pandora and Erebos' home, where Cassandra explained what she had seen in her vision…"_

* * *

"So… That's what he's doing…" Pandora said, looking away. "I should've known…"

"I know I have to tell the other Pokémon in town about this," Cassandra responded. "But, I wanted to let you know first."

"I see…" Pandora replied, nodding her head slightly.

"What do you think we should do?" Cassandra asked, tilting her head slightly. "I don't think the Pokémon of the town will be happy if I don't let them know what's really going on soon…"

"... I'm sorry, Cassandra," Pandora responded, sighing. "Because of me, the Pokémon of your hometown are displeased with you…"

"Whoa, you don't have to apologize for anything!" Cassandra exclaimed. "You were trying to keep me away, but I refused to listen. So, it's my own fault, really."

"… Should you even be here right now?" Pandora asked, looking over at Cassandra. "I don't want you to get into even more trouble…"

"I can't go home until Simon comes back to pick me up," Cassandra responded, smiling at Pandora. "So, let's try to come up with a plan together! Once we have a plan for how to stop Erebos from using any more dark magic, we can sort everything out, right?"

"… You know, it's easier said than done," Pandora replied, sighing. "But… I guess you're right."

"All right, let's do this!" Cassandra said, grinning. "So, where do we begin?"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Illumine Town, Simon was trying to go unnoticed as he walked through town, as he didn't know what he would say if one of the other Pokémon approached him. He could feel a lot of uneasiness from the other Pokémon around town, but wasn't sure if there was anything he could do about it.

"Hey," a voice called out, and Simon turned to see a Swampert watching him.

"Oh, hello there," Simon responded, quizzically scratching the back of his head with one of his spoons. "Um… You are…?"

"Richter," the Swampert replied.

"Ah, right," Simon responded, nodding his head. "I really do need to learn everyone's names one of these days… So, was there something you needed from me?"

Richter led Simon to a secluded spot where they could talk without needing to worry about anyone else interrupting them.

"You know what's going on, don't you?" Richter asked.

"Uh… Can you be a little more specific…?" Simon responded, twirling his long moustache around one of his spoons. "After all, there are always so many things that are going on all the time, so it can be difficult to keep track of everything, you know?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about," Richter said, looking straight into the Alakazam's eyes. "Cassandra is hiding something, and if there's anyone else in town that would know about it, it has to be you."

"… I guess I can't deny that, huh," Simon responded, giving a nervous chuckle. "So, you want me to tell you everything I know?"

"No, that is not the reason why I wanted to speak to you," Richter replied, shaking his head.

"Oh? Then, what is it?" Simon asked, tilting his head slightly.

"As you can probably tell, the other Pokémon are a bit disturbed by the strange things that are happening in the mystery dungeons," Richter explained, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. "And the fact that the town oracle won't answer their questions about what is going on isn't exactly making the situation any better."

"Well… Cassandra has had a lot on her mind lately," Simon responded. "I'm sure she'll explain everything soon enough."

"Are you sure about that?" Richter asked. "I mean… I don't even know what is going on, but you know what will happen if Cassandra continues to withhold information from everyone, don't you?"

Simon quietly thought about it for a few moments.

"You care about Cassandra, and surely you don't want the other Pokémon to turn against her, right?" Richter asked, looking at Simon.

"Well, that much is obvious, isn't it?" Simon responded, sighing.

"Then, you'll talk to her about this?" Richter asked. "After all, she'll probably listen to you."

"Yes, I'll have a talk with her," Simon replied, nodding his head. "She probably already realizes that she needs to share what she knows with everyone, though."

"Good," Richter responded, smiling at Simon. "I'll just leave this to you."

As Richter walked away, Simon thought about what to do next. After a few moments of consideration, he decided that it was best to speak to Cassandra as soon as possible. With a quick teleport, he found himself in Silver Woods and went to look for Cassandra.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cassandra and Pandora were looking over different spells, and it seemed they had finally found something that could help them. Cassandra waited as Pandora held one of her sleeve-like hands to her chin while thoughtfully looking over the spell. The white bow-like feelers on Cassandra's body suddenly flashed as she felt a familiar psychic signature nearby.

"Simon?" Cassandra said, looking out the window to see the Alakazam walking over.

"Ah, so this is where your friend lives," Simon said, waving to Cassandra.

"Simon, why are you here?" Cassandra asked, while motioning for him to come inside.

"I wanted to see if you were making any progress," Simon responded, stepping inside. "After all, you need to tell the town about what is going on as soon as possible, so if you haven't figured out what to do..."

"I know," Cassandra replied, nodding her head and glancing over at Pandora. "But don't worry, I think we've found a spell that might help us with the current situation."

"Oh, is that so?" Simon inquired, looking over at Pandora.

Pandora looked up from the scroll, and noticed Simon.

"Ah, you must be Simon," Pandora said. "Cassandra has mentioned you a few times."

"It is nice to finally meet you, Miss Pandora," Simon responded, nodding his head slightly. "So, what is this spell you're looking at?"

"It's a spell that is normally supposed to be used to free those that are under a mind control spell," Pandora explained, turning her attention back to the scroll. "I don't know if it'll do anything to clear the darkness that has infected my brother's mind from his magic use, but I believe this is the closest thing we've got."

"I see," Simon responded, nodding his head. "It certainly might be worth a try."

"However, since I don't know if it'll be enough…" Pandora said, sighing. "I'm going to see if I can… make just a little alteration to the spell."

"What do you mean?" Cassandra asked.

"I'll… make it so that the spell will erase all memories of the dark magic from my brother's mind," Pandora responded, looking away.

"Whoa, that… sounds kind of extreme," Cassandra replied, blinking a few times.

"I wouldn't do such a thing if I didn't think it was necessary to save my brother," Pandora responded, still looking away from the two psychic types. "It is the only way to make sure my brother can never use the dark magic again."

"… I understand," Cassandra eventually replied, nodding her head slightly. "So, how do we do this?"

"Well, that's another problem…" Pandora responded, turning to look at Cassandra and Simon. "I doubt Erebos would just hold still and allow me to do this, so we'll need to use a certain spell to keep him from escaping."

"I see…" Cassandra replied, holding a hand to her chin. "Do we have such a spell?"

"Yes," Pandora responded, nodding her head. "It is meant to be used to draw certain spirits to your location, but ghost-types are similar enough that the spell can be used on them with only a few minor changes."

"Sounds like a plan," Cassandra said, crossing her arms. "So, should we get started right away?"

"Actually, there is one other thing…" Pandora responded, showing Cassandra one of the scrolls. "Both of the spells we'll be using require certain ingredients."

"Oh, they do?" Cassandra asked, examining the scroll.

"Hmm… It may take a while to gather all of these things," Simon commented as he peeked over Cassandra's shoulder at the scroll. "You'll have to go through several mystery dungeons to reach the places where these things can be found."

"Mystery dungeons, huh…" Cassandra responded, holding a hand to her chin as she thought about it for a moment, before a smile suddenly appeared on her face.

"What is it?" Pandora asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Okay, here's what we will do," Cassandra said, grinning. "We'll have Simon teleport the three of us back to town, then we'll inform the others of what is going on, and then we'll ask everyone to help us gather the ingredients we need!"

"Wait, all three of us…?" Pandora asked, looking away. "I… I don't know if that's a good idea…"

"I think it sounds like an excellent idea," Simon commented. "We do need to inform the town, and if we can get everyone to pitch in, we'll have the ingredients we need in no time!"

"But… they might not trust me…" Pandora said, looking down at the floor. "After all… My brother is the one who is causing all this chaos…"

"It'll be fine," Cassandra responded, walking up to Pandora. "Since you're a friend of the town oracle, I'm sure they won't mind having you around for a bit!"

"... Did you just say that I'm… your friend?" Pandora asked, looking up at Cassandra.

"Oh, sorry, is it too soon to be calling you that?" Cassandra responded. "I know we've only known each other for a little while, so..."

"Friend…" Pandora repeated softly, giving a small smile as she contemplated it. "I… like the sound of that…"

"Pandora, you… you just _smiled_!" Cassandra exclaimed, and found that she couldn't help but smile too. "This is the first time I've seen you smile!"

"Oh?" Pandora responded, looking a little surprised. "Well, I… I guess it has been a while since I had a reason to smile…"

Seeing Pandora's gentle smile filled Cassandra with determination. She hoped that their plan would work, and that Pandora would have a reason to smile again soon. She turned to Simon, looking into his eyes.

"You know what to do, Simon!" Cassandra said, grinning.

"Yes, Cassandra," Simon responded, nodding his head. "Come closer, you two."

Cassandra walked up to Simon and took his hand in hers, before holding out her other hand to Pandora. Pandora hesitated a bit, before hovering over to the two psychic types and reaching out her sleeve-like hands so that Pandora and Simon each could hold onto one of them with their free hands.

"All right, let's go!" Simon said, closing his eyes. "Next stop is Illumine Town!"

Cassandra flashed Pandora a reassuring smile, and Pandora gently nodded her head before the three of them were teleported away in a burst of light.

* * *

Erebos snickered as he watched two wild Pokémon fight each other under the influence of one of his dark spells. He conjured up a magic scroll, and looked over it with a satisfied smirk before making it disappear and conjuring up another. He began reading through the contents of the scroll, occasionally glancing down at the battle below him.

"Hmm… Making a Parasect unable to receive the signals that the mushroom on its back sends out…?" Erebos commented, tilting his head slightly. "That's an oddly specific spell, but certainly something I'll keep in mind if I happen to see a Parasect."

He chuckled a little as the two wild Pokémon were clearly getting tired from their aggressive fight, yet they kept the battle going anyways.

"The spell I used to hypnotize these wild Pokémon worked really well," Erebos said with a satisfied grin. "I think I may have found my new favorite spell!"

Erebos continued laughing to himself as he flew off to find more Pokémon inside the mystery dungeons to try his dark spells on, not bothering to stay and watch the outcome of the fight he had initiated.

* * *

_"Erebos continued his experiments, while Cassandra, Pandora and Simon were about to set their plan to stop him into motion. Cassandra was certain that if they could get the Pokémon of Illumine Town to help them, then everything would be fine. However, as some of you might have experienced yourselves, things rarely go exactly as you planned…"_

* * *

**End of Chapter 37**


	38. If this works, then surely there won't be any doubt anymore.

* * *

_"When they returned to Illumine Town, Cassandra sent out a telepathic message to all the Pokémon in town, letting them know she wanted to tell them something. It didn't take long before they had all gathered in the center of town, wondering what the town oracle had summoned them for…"_

* * *

Cassandra took a deep breath as she prepared to address the crowd, mentally trying to work out what she was going to say to them. She, Simon and Pandora were a short distance away from where the other Pokémon had gathered, and could hear them talking amongst themselves as they wondered just what was going on. Several of them were simply curious and hoped that their town oracle would explain what was going on and what they were going to do about it, if anything. However, there was also a bit of frustration emanating from the crowd, since Cassandra hadn't explained anything about this sooner.

The tension in the air was making Pandora feel even more nervous about asking them to help gather ingredients for the spell they were going to use to stop Erebos, and she wanted nothing more than to go home and hide in the darkness. As Cassandra was about to step forward, Pandora wrapped her sleeve-like arms around Cassandra's thin, black arm.

"Cassandra, I'm sorry," Pandora said, looking down at the ground. "I… I don't think I can do this…"

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Cassandra responded, touching Pandora's arms with her free hand. "I'm sure I can convince them to help us out!"

"No, they'll blame me for keeping you away from town and refuse to help me," Pandora replied, tightening her grip slightly. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but… this just isn't going to work out…"

"Pandora, we won't know until we try," Cassandra responded, trying to free her left arm from Pandora's grip. "Just trust me, okay?"

Pandora just remained silent for a few moments, before somberly nodding her head and letting go of Cassandra's arm. Pandora nervously watched as Cassandra went to address the crowd.

"I don't know exactly how well Cassandra knows the Pokémon of this town, but it seems she knows at least some of them well enough," Simon commented.

"What do you mean…?" Pandora asked, glancing over at Simon.

"While bothered by the strange events, some of them are clearly concerned about Cassandra herself," Simon said, smiling as he thought back to his conversation with Richter. "It's just nice to know that I'm not the only one looking out for her."

"I see…" Pandora responded, nodding her head slightly.

"So, if these Pokémon truly believe in Cassandra, I'm certain that she will be able to convince them to trust you as well," Simon said, giving Pandora a reassuring look.

"… I hope you're right," Pandora muttered, staring into the ground.

Pandora tried to hide herself behind Simon as the two of them followed Cassandra. Soon, all eyes were on Cassandra.

"Everyone, there's something I need to tell you all," Cassandra said, looking out over the crowd. "So, please stay calm and listen to what I have to say."

* * *

_"Cassandra began telling the other Pokémon about the vision she had had and how it led her to Silver Woods, where she met Pandora and Erebos. She explained to them what Pandora had told her, about the dark magic and how it had been corrupting Erebos, and that Erebos was the one responsible for the strange things that had been happening in the mystery dungeons near Illumine Town._

_After that, she told them of the plan she and Pandora had come up with, and how they needed some help to gather the ingredients for the spells…"_

* * *

"… And, that's about it," Cassandra said as she concluded her explanation. "Are there any questions?"

"Why didn't you tell us about this sooner?" one of Era's heads asked.

"I didn't want to worry anyone," Cassandra responded. "However, once Erebos came here, I knew something had to be done, which is why I had to talk to Pandora and come up with a plan before I told you all. I'm sorry for any trouble I caused."

"Hmm… Can we _really_ trust that Mismagius?" a Liepard asked, pointing a claw at Pandora, who was just silently staring into the ground. "I mean, if the trouble-maker is her brother…"

"She has a point," a Scizor commented, crossing his arms. "How do we know that the Mismagius won't betray us?"

"Pandora wants to make sure that Erebos won't be corrupted any further by the dark magic," Cassandra responded, throwing a quick glance over at the Mismagius. "If she can use her own magic to stop him, and we can provide the ingredients she needs, then shouldn't we all just work together?"

Pandora nervously looked up at the various Pokémon as she heard a few murmurs from the crowd, some of them looking a bit skeptical while others just seemed uncertain and concerned. None of them seemed entirely sure about what to do.

"I knew this was a bad idea…" Pandora whispered, looking away. "They won't help me…"

"Don't give up just yet," Simon whispered back.

Cassandra just quietly waited for a few moments, looking out over the crowd and trying to get a general idea of how they felt about the idea. She began to feel a little nervous herself as she picked up on the feelings from the crowd, but she tried not to let it show. After all, she was the town oracle. She had to remain calm, and inspire and give advice to the Pokémon of Illumine Town.

She felt as she had to say something, show the Pokémon of the town that she had full control and knew what she was doing. However, what could she say to convince them?

"I… I know some of you might have your doubts, since I didn't tell you about any of this until now, and again, I'm sorry," Cassandra said.

"It's not just that," Era's left head commented. "This plan of yours… It sounds kind of crazy…"

"So, you mean it's crazy enough to work?" Era's middle head questioned, looking over to her left with a hopeful smile.

"No, just crazy," the left head responded.

"Oh…" the middle head replied, looking down at the ground.

"Guys, we won't know if it'll work or not until we try it," Cassandra responded, throwing a quick glance over at Simon and Pandora. "I mean… Pandora is the only one who has the knowledge and power we need to solve this, so…"

The Pokémon in the crowd continued to exchange glances and talk amongst themselves, some of them acknowledging that Cassandra had a point, but that they were still skeptical about the whole thing. After a few moments, Richter, who had just quietly been listening this whole time, decided to speak up.

"I'll do what I can to help," Richter said, looking up at Cassandra. "Since we don't really have any better options, I'd say we better get started on this as soon as possible."

Cassandra couldn't help but smile, and it didn't take long before she felt a change in parts of the crowd.

"We'll help too!" Era's middle head cheerfully exclaimed, while her other two heads nodded in agreement. "You can count on us!"

Pandora looked on in surprise as more of the Pokémon decided to help. Simon smiled at the Mismagius, and motioned for her to move forward. Pandora reluctantly hovered over to Cassandra's side.

"Uh… H-Hi everyone…" Pandora said, meekly waving to the crowd. "I… I'm sorry about the trouble my brother has caused, and… I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again, I promise…"

"Tell everyone what they need to do, Pandora!" Cassandra said, smiling at Pandora.

"R-Right…" Pandora responded, nodding her head. "Please listen to me, everyone…"

* * *

_"Pandora began explaining which ingredients were needed for the spells. While some of the Pokémon of the town were still a bit skeptical, they still joined in as everyone began putting together a plan for how they would proceed. They soon decided that the Pokémon that were to gather the ingredients would be organized into teams consisting of two, three or four Pokémon, and that they would be sent to the mystery dungeons that they were best suited to explore depending on their type and species._

_In order to reach the faraway places quickly, they would make use of Simon's teleportation powers. However, they also needed a way to make it back to town quickly, and so they had to gather as many Escape Orbs as they could find…"_

* * *

Simon examined the small blue wonder orbs that one of the shopkeepers had brought over, before nodding his head and adding them to the small pile of Escape Orbs that had been gathered so far. He then glanced over at the shopkeeper, a gray moth-like Pokémon with yellow wings with orange patterns.

"These are all the Escape Orbs you have at the moment?" Simon asked.

"Yes," the Mothim responded, nodding his head slightly. "I still have some other types of wonder orbs left, if you need any."

"Thanks," Simon replied. "If we need anything else, we'll let you know."

The Mothim returned to check on his shop, while Simon glanced over at Cassandra and Pandora who were just a short distance away from him. Cassandra was currently discussing something with a Leavanny, while Pandora just quietly hovered beside her and listened to whatever they were talking about. Cassandra held a hand to her chin for a moment while she thought about something the Leavanny had apparently suggested, before smiling and nodding her head as she responded to the Leavanny.

Simon couldn't hear what they were talking about, but seeing Cassandra so excited and cheerful made him smile. Simon just watched for a while, before he suddenly heard someone giggling and turned to see Era looking at him.

"What is it?" Simon asked, taking a step back.

"Working hard for Cassandra's sake, aren't you?" Era's right head asked, cheerfully swaying from side to side until accidentally bumping into the middle head.

"Ow!" the middle head exclaimed, blinking a few times before looking to her right. "Don't do that!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the right head responded, looking down sheepishly. "I _totally_ forgot you were there!"

"... I'm not even going to comment on that one," Era's left head said, rolling her eyes.

"Um… Was there something you wanted…?" Simon asked, looking slightly confused.

"Oh, it's nothing!" the right head replied, winking at Simon. "Just keep working hard!"

"Uh… Of course," Simon responded, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean, everyone is doing what they can, so I've got to do what I can to help as well."

Era ran off to help with something else, and Simon just shook his head and decided to count the Escape Orbs again to check how many were currently gathered.

"Just what _was_ that about…?" Simon muttered to himself as he telekinetically picked up the orbs one by one and mentally counted them.

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

Simon turned to see Richter walking up to him, and noticed that a Banette was currently sitting on top of the Swampert's head for no apparent reason.

"What do you mean?" Simon asked, curiously glancing at the Banette for a moment.

"Well, Simon, the Pokémon of this town may not know you very well," Richter responded, crossing his arms. "But your feelings for Cassandra… I'm pretty sure _everyone_ in town knows about that."

"E-Everyone…?" Simon replied incredulously, glancing around.

"Yep," Richter responded, nodding his head.

"Mmph mm!" the Banette replied affirmatively, snickering a little.

"T-That's… I don't…" Simon stuttered, his face having turned red. "I-I don't see how this is relevant to the current situation at hand!"

"You're right," Richter responded. "We should be getting back to work."

"Mmph mmmph!" the Banette said, cheerfully waving good-bye to Simon as he and Richter walked away.

Simon just shook his head, and looked over at the Escape Orbs again.

"Wonder how many of these we need…" Simon commented, tapping one of his spoons against his face.

Simon glanced back over at where Cassandra was. The Leavanny she had been talking to earlier was now nowhere to be seen, and Cassandra was instead talking to Pandora. Simon decided to go check on how they were doing.

"How are things going over here?" Simon asked as he walked up to the two.

"Things seem to be going well so far," Cassandra responded, smiling at Simon. "And you?"

"Well, we've gathered seventeen Escape Orbs so far," Simon replied.

"Wow, that's great!" Cassandra responded, looking over at Pandora. "Isn't that great?"

"Yes, that is pretty good," Pandora replied, thinking for a moment. "Since the wonder orbs can only be used once, it'd be good to have some leftover if some of the teams fail to obtain the ingredients they need to find on their first try…"

"That reminds me, do we even know how many teams there will be?" Cassandra asked, tilting her head slightly.

"I'll go check the status on that," Simon responded.

"Thanks, Simon!" Cassandra replied, grinning. "You're the best!"

"No problem," Simon responded, smiling back. "I'll do anything for you, Cassandra!"

"Oh?" Pandora inquired, tilting her head slightly.

"Ah, did I say that out loud?" Simon responded, blushing slightly. "Uh, I mean… Because we're friends, and… um… I'm going to go check on that thing now!"

Simon quickly left to go check on the other Pokémon, breathing a sigh of relief once he was out of Cassandra and Pandora's earshot.

"Ah, I'm not very good at this, am I?" Simon said to himself, leaning against a tree. "Well, maybe I'll be brave enough to tell her someday… but for now, I have other things I need to do."

* * *

_"Soon, the first set of preparations was complete, and Simon could begin sending the different teams of Pokémon to the mystery dungeons in which the ingredients for the spell could be found. A Leavanny had with the help of an Audino made scarves and other accessories for the different teams, to help make it easier to identify which Pokémon were part of what team by the color of the scarves._

_Over the next few days, Pandora would stay in Illumine Town during the day, looking over what progress had been made with Cassandra and Simon and what ingredients had been gathered, while returning to Silver Woods at night so Erebos would not suspect anything when he returned home after spending the day experimenting with different spells elsewhere._

_Of course, she wished there was something she could've done to keep Erebos from using his dark magic so he wouldn't cause any trouble while preparations were still being made. Since there wasn't much she could do about it, she just had to hope that everything would be ready soon, and that the spell would work._

_Finally, the day when the last of the ingredients were gathered came, and soon everything would be ready…"_

* * *

Pandora watched as Simon used his spoons to dig a pattern into the ground, following the instructions on a scroll. Simon occasionally glanced up at Pandora to check if he getting the details right, to which Pandora responded with a quick nod. After a while, Cassandra walked over to the two with a big smile on her face.

"Two of the teams just returned with the last ingredients we needed!" Cassandra said, grinning.

"Ah, that means our preparations should be complete soon," Simon responded, looking up at Cassandra and Pandora.

"Yeah, I guess they will…" Pandora replied, thinking about it for a moment. "If I can get everything ready, I might be able to cast the spells later this evening…"

"Well, in that case, I'd better continue working on this, then!" Simon said, and continued working on the pattern on the ground.

Pandora took a deep breath, and looked over her magic scrolls one more time. In only a few more hours, she would probably have everything ready. If things went as planned, she wouldn't need to worry about Erebos using any more of that dark magic. However, she knew things likely wouldn't go back to exactly the way they were before. She just hoped that Erebos would realize that she was doing it for his own good, and that he would eventually forgive her for this…

"Cassandra, I…" Pandora said, looking over at the Gothitelle.

"Huh?" Cassandra replied, tilting her head slightly. "What is it?"

"I… I wanted to thank you," Pandora responded, glancing down at the ground. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"You're welcome, Pandora," Cassandra replied, smiling and looking up at the sky. "I guess you can thank the stars too, since they guided me to you."

"The stars…?" Pandora inquired, looking up at the sky. "But… we can't see any stars during the daytime."

"Just because you can't _see_ them, that doesn't mean they're not there, right?" Cassandra responded, glancing over at Pandora for a moment. "I've been told that some Gothitelle _can_ receive visions when it isn't nighttime."

"Hmm… I guess you're right," Pandora replied, nodding her head slightly. "Even during the daytime, the stars are still up there _somewhere_ , even if we can't see them…"

"Yeah, that's how it is," Cassandra responded, smiling.

Pandora looked over at Cassandra again, and smiled.

"You're actually quite a good oracle, you know that?" Pandora asked, still smiling.

"Huh? Oh, I'm not, really," Cassandra responded, shaking her head. "I'm still not really sure what I'll do after this, when everyone can return to their normal lives…"

"But Cassandra, look around!" Pandora said, pointing around at some of the Pokémon. "You convinced them all to work together on this, helping with our plan."

"Well, yes, I did do that…" Cassandra responded, thinking about it for a moment.

"You may have done a few things wrong, but you've made up for that, haven't you?" Pandora asked, looking over at the pattern Simon was digging into the ground. "If this works, then surely there won't be any doubt anymore."

"You're… sounding unusually optimistic about this," Cassandra replied, blinking a few times.

"I can't help it," Pandora responded, blushing slightly. "When you're around... I don't feel as scared, because… I know I'm not alone…"

Cassandra smiled, and took one of Pandora's hands into her own.

"Of course you're not alone," Cassandra responded, looking into Pandora's eyes. "Even after this is over and we've saved your brother… Let's stay in touch, okay?"

"… Sure," Pandora replied, smiling back. "I'd like that."

* * *

_"And so, Pandora prepared the ingredients that had been gathered by the Pokémon of Illumine Town for the spell. With the help of Cassandra, Simon and the others, everything was ready by evening. As the sun was going down in the distance, Pandora was getting ready to begin casting the spell. This was the moment that everyone had been building up to in the past few days…"_

* * *

Pandora took a deep breath, before pouring a mixture of the ingredients she had prepared into the pattern that Simon had dug into the ground. She glanced over at Cassandra, who just nodded and gave Pandora a reassuring smile. Pandora smiled back, and then turned back to look at the pattern on the ground. She closed her eyes, and began chanting an incantation of some sort. The pattern on the ground turned pink, and began to glow as Pandora spoke.

She opened one of her eyes for a moment, letting an orb of ghostly energy for between her hands as she continued chanting the spell, before tossing the orb into the center of the glowing pattern. The orb was absorbed into the light, and the glow got brighter. Suddenly, something shot out from the center of the pattern, and flew off into the distance…

* * *

Meanwhile, in a mystery dungeon near a river, Erebos was cheerfully humming to himself while using one of his spells to dry up the water that made up the floor of the maze. The wild Pokémon of the dungeon seemed rather annoyed by this, but Erebos didn't particularly care and was instead trying to decide on which spell he wanted to use on them. However, before he could cast another spell, he suddenly spotted something in the sky.

A magical force began pulling him away, and as much as he struggled to break free, it forced him out of the mystery dungeon and kept on pulling him further away. In only a few moments, he found himself trapped inside some sort of force field, and examining his surroundings, he realized that he was now in Illumine Town, and he spotted his sister Pandora hovering nearby.

"Pandora…?" Erebos said, narrowing his eyes. "So, this is _your_ doing?"

"Erebos…" Pandora muttered, opening her eyes and sadly looking at the other Mismagius.

"Wow, the first spell worked!" Cassandra said, staring at the scene with wide eyes and a big smile.

"I must admit, this demonstration of magic is quite interesting," Simon commented.

Erebos looked around at the different Pokémon watching him, before smirking and turning back to Pandora.

"My dear sister, just _what_ are you trying to do here?" Erebos asked. "We both know that my magic is stronger than yours!"

"Erebos, I tried to reason with you…" Pandora responded, sighing and looking away. "But… since it's clear that you won't listen, I have no choice but to take drastic action."

"Drastic action, you say?" Erebos inquired, smirking. "Ha, we'll see about that."

Erebos fired a bolt of dark energy at the force field, but to his surprise, the barrier remained intact. Pandora picked up a bowl containing the ingredients needed for the second spell, and Cassandra felt uneasy as she realized what was going to happen next. Erebos stopped attacking the barrier for a moment, curiously looking over at his sister.

"What are you planning on doing with that?" Erebos asked.

"I'm sorry, Erebos," Pandora responded, her eyes hidden under the brim of her "hat". "But… you need to forget that you ever used any of this dark magic…"

"Forget…?" Erebos muttered, before his eyes widened in shock. "You… you wouldn't!"

"I hope you'll forgive me someday…" Pandora said, still not looking up at her brother. "This is for the best…"

Pandora began chanting another spell, and a green mist began rising from the bowl and swirl around the force field.

"She's… really doing this," Cassandra muttered under her breath, her uneasiness building up to a dark feeling that something really bad was about to happen.

"No, I won't let you take my most powerful magic away!" Erebos shouted, his eyes suddenly flashing red before he began chanting a spell of his own.

A red aura began emanating from Erebos' body, and the pink force field that was keeping him trapped began turning darker in color as the two Mismagius both continued chanting their spells. The green mist was starting to dissipate because of Erebos' counter-spell, and Pandora struggled to fight against his magic as the darkness continued to spread through the force field.

"This doesn't look good…" Cassandra said, taking a step back. "Simon, help me set up another barrier!"

Cassandra and Simon used their combined psychic power to create a barrier to keep the nearest buildings and bystanders safe, as the two Mismagius now fought a magical duel. It was clear that Erebos had the upper hand at the moment, as red sparks of electricity began shooting out from the force field. While it was clear at this point that her original plan wouldn't work, Pandora kept trying her hardest to keep the spell under control.

Erebos' eyes flashed red once more, just as a bolt of red lightning struck Pandora.

"Pandora!" Cassandra exclaimed as Pandora fell to the ground.

Pandora lifted her head slightly, glancing over at her brother. Erebos laughed maniacally as the force field continued crackling with red sparks of electricity, which kept shooting out at random. Somehow, the force field had remained intact, although the dark magic had clearly changed something in it.

"Erebos…!" Pandora called out, gasping in pain as she tried to get back up. "You have to stop this!"

"What's the matter, Pandora?" Erebos asked, grinning as he looked down at his sister. "Are you going to keep fighting even though I'm stronger than you?"

"The magic in the force field… has become dangerously unstable," Pandora responded, managing to rise up. "I don't know what will happen to you if it isn't stabilized right away…"

"Are you trying to trick me?" Erebos asked, snickering a little. "You can't fool me, little sister!"

Pandora didn't bother responding, and just started chanting another spell in hopes of stabilizing the force field. However, it only seemed to get worse, and Pandora had to quickly move out of the way to just barely avoid getting struck by the lightning again. Erebos just laughed maniacally, and Pandora couldn't even tell if he was aware of what was happening around him anymore.

"Erebos, please..." Pandora pleaded, looking up at her brother. "I can't get it under control… but if we combine our powers, then maybe…"

Before she received any response, Erebos was hit by the lightning and screamed out in pain.

"Erebos!" Pandora exclaimed, staring in horror.

"Ugh… Didn't see that coming…" Erebos said, giggling a little. "But, it'll take more than that to stop me!"

"What… Erebos, are you okay?" Pandora asked.

"Ha… ha… I have everything under control…" Erebos said, grinning. "I control this dark magic! This power is mine, and you can't take it away from me, little sister!"

"E-Erebos…!" Pandora exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Your arms…!"

Erebos blinked a few times, before looking down at his sleeve-like arms. Both of his arms were burning with red flames, which were slowly working their way up to the rest of his body.

"I'm… burning?" Erebos said, staring at his arms for a few moments, before breaking into hysterical laughter as the flames spread to the rest of his body. "AHAHAHAHAHA! I'M BURNING! I'M _BURNING_!"

Pandora frantically tried to cast a spell that could save her brother, but the sounds that were coming out of her mouth barely even resembled words. The magical force field was glowing brighter, and the heat could be felt even outside of the psychic barrier that was keeping everyone else safe. Cassandra had a feeling she knew what was going to happen, and tried to warn Pandora. However, it seemed the words couldn't escape past the lump in her throat.

In only a few seconds, Cassandra realized what she had to do. She quickly opened up part of the psychic barrier, and forcefully pulled Pandora out with telekinesis. She held Pandora tightly as she sealed the barrier again, just before the magical force field exploded. Cassandra and Simon just barely managed to keep the barrier up for a few seconds, before they were sent flying back by the explosion.

"Ugh… Is everyone okay…?" Cassandra asked, looking around.

"I think so…" Simon responded, sitting up and rubbing his head.

Thanks to the psychic barrier, nearby buildings and the Pokémon that had been watching were unharmed, although some of them were visibly disturbed by what had happened. Cassandra was still holding Pandora in her arms, a bit surprised at how light the Mismagius was, as she barely felt any weight on her arms.

"Pandora, are you okay?" Cassandra asked. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"E-Erebos…" Pandora muttered, looking up at Cassandra. "Cassandra, what happened to Erebos?"

"Huh? Well…" Cassandra looked over at the spot where the magical force field had been moments ago.

As the smoke cleared, one could see a giant scorch mark left on the ground, and Erebos was nowhere to be seen. Pandora quietly stared at the burned spot for a few moments.

"No… It can't be…" Pandora muttered, shaking her head lightly. "Erebos couldn't be… Cassandra, where is he? Did you see anything?"

"I… no, I don't know…" Cassandra responded.

Cassandra glanced around at Simon and the other Pokémon, and from the looks of their faces, most of them were probably just as confused as she was. Pandora kept calling out for her brother, but received no response.

"Erebos, where are you?" Pandora shouted, trying her best to hold back her tears. "Please, answer me!"

* * *

_"Pandora kept calling out for him, until she gave up and collapsed on the ground. Cassandra tried to comfort her, but didn't know what to say. She just sat there next to Pandora for a while, until Pandora finally got up and said she wanted to go home. Cassandra offered to go with her, but Pandora told her she wanted to be alone for a bit. Besides, there was something she needed to do. The scrolls that Erebos had hidden away, the ones that had corrupted him, surely she could reach them now. She wanted to destroy them as soon as possible, so that they could never harm anyone ever again._

_Cassandra said she understood, and asked Simon to send Pandora home. As she went on her way home, she wondered if she could've prevented this from happening. If she hadn't gotten involved, would things have played out differently? She wondered about the vision she had back then, the one that led her to seek out Pandora and Erebos. Why did she have that vision?_

_With how things had turned out, it was difficult to make sense of any of it. She thought she had finally found what she was looking for, a purpose of some sort… but now, she once again felt confused and as if there was nothing she could really do to help anyone. She tried to push those thoughts away as she went to sleep that night, but…"_

* * *

Cassandra was shuddering in her sleep, as she ran through the silvery grass of Silver Woods in her dream. Her dream self could smell smoke as parts of the forest caught on fire around her, and soon she spotted Pandora, covering in fear as a large shadowy figure was partially obscuring the moon and looking down at Pandora with glowing red eyes. Cassandra picked up the pace, trying to reach Pandora, but a wall of flames suddenly blocked her path.

She watched as the shadowy figure moved, its form resembling a black spear as it shot down from the sky towards the ground. Cassandra couldn't see the past the flames, she only heard Pandora's scream...

* * *

Cassandra opened her eyes, looking around at her surroundings before sitting up. Her heart was still racing, and she shuddered as she looked up the stars. A dark cloud was obscuring some of the stars as it was slowly being pushed by the soft wind. Cassandra managed to calm herself down, but she was uncertain if she would be able to sleep again tonight.

"I guess… this isn't over yet," Cassandra quietly whispered to herself, before getting up and hurrying outside.

* * *

**End of Chapter 38**


	39. I... I really didn't mean for it to turn out this way...

* * *

_"_ _After returning home to Silver Woods, Pandora found the magic scrolls that Erebos had hidden from her. With his apparent demise, the magic that Erebos used had weakened, allowing Pandora to retrieve the scrolls. She hoped that the other spells that Erebos had cast on the unfortunate wild Pokémon in the mystery dungeons near Illumine Town had worn off as well."_

* * *

Pandora sadly looked down at the scrolls, thinking about all this chaos they had caused. She wondered what had happened to whoever may have previously owned them, if they had ended up like her brother. She then threw the scrolls down on the floor, glaring at them as she conjured up several small blue wisps of fire. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before letting the wisps float down to the scrolls, setting them on fire.

Pandora opened her eyes slightly, watching with a sad smile as the scrolls burned.

"Now these scrolls won't be able to hurt anyone anymore…" Pandora muttered, sighing in relief.

As the scrolls burned until there were only ashes left, Pandora glanced outside, looking up at the stars twinkling in the sky.

"I wonder if Cassandra is still awake?" Pandora wondered out loud. "Maybe she's watching the stars..."

"Feeling lonely…?" a voice whispered from the darkness.

"Who's there!?" Pandora exclaimed, looking around.

"I really wish I'd gotten here in time to stop you from destroying the scrolls…" the voice commented. "Although, I guess it doesn't really matter... I don't think I need the scrolls themselves anymore…"

"Erebos…?" Pandora said, seeming both nervous and hopeful. "I-Is that you?"

A dark mist began to surround Pandora's home, and as Pandora looked up at it, she saw two glowing red orbs within the mind looking back at her.

"Hello there, little sister…" the dark mist said, snickering as it swirled around Pandora.

"Erebos, you're…" Pandora muttered, nervously backing away from the shadowy spirit.

"Oh, don't worry about me!" Erebos responded. "My body may have been destroyed, but I still have most of my power! Isn't that great?"

"I... I really didn't mean for it to turn out this way…" Pandora said, looking away.

"Of course you didn't," Erebos responded, snickering a little. "But still, you did try to take my power away… I can't just let you get away with that, you know?"

Before Pandora had time to react, a bolt of ghostly energy struck her, knocking her down. She glanced up to see Erebos' corrupted spirit hovering above her as she tried to get back up…

* * *

Cassandra was running as fast as she could towards Simon's house. Since she sometimes had visions when she slept, it could at times be difficult to tell them apart from the regular dreams. However, this time there was no doubt that this was not simply just a nightmare. She finally reached Simon's house, and called out to him:

"Simon! Simon, you _have_ to wake up!"

She waited a few moments, before the rather sleepy-looking Alakazam greeted her.

"Cassandra, what is it?" Simon asked, rubbing one of his eyes.

"You have to take me to Silver Woods right away!" Cassandra responded.

"Now…?" Simon asked, tilting his head slightly. "Isn't it a little late for that?"

"You don't understand!" Cassandra responded. "This is an emergency!"

"Emergency…?" Simon replied. "What are you talking about?"

"I had a vision…" Cassandra explained, taking a few deep breaths. "I saw… this… this _thing_ attack Pandora, and… I think she might really be in trouble!"

"I see…" Simon responded, nodding his head slightly. "And you are sure it wasn't just a regular nightmare?"

"Yes," Cassandra replied, nodding her head somberly. "This feeling is so strong…"

From the look on Cassandra's face, Simon could tell that this was really serious. He just nodded his head, and wrapped his arm around Cassandra.

"All right, let's go," Simon said.

"Thank you…" Cassandra responded, holding onto him tightly as they teleported away.

* * *

The two psychic types quickly made their way over to Pandora's home. Upon reaching it, they discovered that something had torn the tent-like structure apart, and several of Pandora's notes and pieces of broken furniture were scattered around. Pandora herself was lying face down in the grass, not moving.

"Pandora!" Cassandra exclaimed, rushing over to the Mismagius and picking her up.

"Is she okay?" Simon asked, also concerned for the ghost-type Pokémon.

"I don't know…" Cassandra responded, examining Pandora. "She's unconscious…"

Simon walked over, and took a closer look at the unconscious Mismagius.

"Well, at least the gems on her body appear to be unharmed," Simon said. "So, her life shouldn't be in any danger."

"Oh, really?" Cassandra responded, sighing in relief. "Thank goodness…"

"We'd better take her back to town," Simon said, putting a hand on Cassandra's shoulder. "It is probably safer there."

"Yeah…" Cassandra replied, nodding her head and glancing around. "Look at this mess…"

"Poor Pandora…" Simon commented, picking up and examining a piece of paper. "She's lost her brother, and now her home too…"

"Looks like some of her notes are intact, though," Cassandra responded, noticing the writing on the paper Simon was holding onto. "They might be useful later, so we should bring those along as well."

"Understood," Simon replied and nodded his head.

Simon took a moment to telekinetically gather up the papers scattered on the ground, before teleporting himself, Cassandra and the unconscious Pandora back to Cassandra's house. The various papers with notes on magic written on them were placed in a pile on a table, while Cassandra put Pandora down on her bed.

"You're safe now, Pandora," Cassandra whispered as she sat down next to her and held Pandora's sleeve-like hand.

"What do you think did this to her?" Simon asked, sitting down next to Cassandra.

"I'm not sure," Cassandra responded, thinking for a few moments before looking over at Simon. "Hey… Do you think Erebos… might have survived whatever happened to him?"

"Oh?" Simon replied, tilting his head slightly. "You think Erebos might've done this?"

"Who else could it have been?" Cassandra responded, closing her eyes. "Pandora wouldn't have tried using that spell she did if it wasn't for me… and if Erebos attacked Pandora because of it…"

"Cassandra…" Simon replied, unsure what to say to her. "Well, um… We won't know what happened until Pandora regains consciousness, so until then…"

The two psychic type Pokémon quietly sat there for a while. Simon tried to think of something he could for Cassandra, but everything that had happened coupled with the fact that it was getting _really_ late and he hadn't gotten much sleep yet made it difficult to come up with anything.

"I wonder what is going to happen from now on…" Cassandra said, glancing towards the starry sky visible through the opening in the ceiling.

"Cassandra… It's really late, you should get some rest," Simon commented, putting a hand on Cassandra's shoulder. "I think I'll stay here for the night, if that's okay with you. And if anything happens, I'm sure I can teleport the three of us to safety even if I'm asleep!"

"Thank you, Simon…" Cassandra responded, smiling and nodding her head slightly. "If you're here, then… I might just be able to get some more sleep tonight…"

Cassandra eventually fell asleep, still sitting by the bedside and holding Pandora's hand. Simon sat there and watched them for a while, before he too eventually fell asleep. He hoped that tomorrow would be a better day…

* * *

The next day was a cloudy one, and most of the Pokémon seemed rather uneasy, yesterday's events still fresh in their minds. Aside from that, everything seemed to be back to normal in Illumine Town. Era's three heads were chatting amongst themselves, occasionally glancing up at the light gray clouds.

"Sure hope it won't rain," Era's middle head commented, seeming a bit concerned. "Don't like running around when the ground is all muddy…"

"I know, right?" the right head responded. "It'd be better if it was sunny all the time, don't you agree?"

"Yeah, it's much better to run around when the ground isn't all wet and slippery!" Era's middle head replied, nodding. "Plus, the sun is so nice and warm…"

"Girls, it _has_ to rain once in a while," Era's left head said.

"Well, why can't it just rain during the night, then?" Era's middle head asked. "That way, it wouldn't bother anyone since most Pokémon sleep during the night!"

"Ooh, that's a good point!" Era's right head responded, smiling.

"… That's not how it works," Era's left head said, sighing.

"Oh hey, there's Richter!" Era's middle head exclaimed, noticing the Swampert standing near the center of the town. "Maybe he can tell if it'll rain today or not!"

Era quickly ran over to Richter, and who seemed to be watching the sky as if he was looking for something.

"Hey, Richter," Era's left head said, glancing up at the sky for a moment. "What are you looking at?"

"I thought I saw something…" Richter responded, squinting a bit as he kept his gaze on the cloudy sky above them. "It was only for a moment, but I'm sure there was something there…"

"It might've just been a Pokémon that was flying past, or something," Era's left head replied.

"You know, it's really strange how we're part flying type, yet we can't fly," Era's middle head commented.

"Well, we can jump really, really far!" Era's right head said, smiling. "Isn't that kind of like flying, except that we're not actually flying?"

"You have a point there…" Era's middle head responded, tilting sideways.

"So, was there anything you wanted from me?" Richter asked, looking over at the Dodrio.

"Oh, right!" Era's middle head exclaimed. "You've seen how it's all cloudy today?"

"… Considering I was watching the sky just now, then yes, I've noticed," Richter responded.

"Do you think it's going to rain today?" Era's middle head asked.

"It's very likely," Richter responded, nodding his head.

"That means "yes", doesn't it?" Era's middle head replied, frowning a bit. "Ah, I don't want it to rain!"

"I wouldn't mind some rain, actually," Richter commented.

"Eh? How can you say that?" Era's middle head asked. "Rain makes everything all cold, wet and muddy!"

"And he's probably okay with that," Era's left head commented, looking over at the middle head. "After all, he's part water _and_ part ground type."

"So? We don't go grazing just because we're part normal type!" Era's middle head responded.

"… What?" Era's left head replied, blinking a few times.

"I don't get it," Era's right head said, tilting to the side quizzically.

"Well, Miltank are normal types," Era's middle head explained, grinning. "And Miltank like to eat grass!"

"Oh, I see!" Era's right head responded, smiling and nodding her head. "That _does_ make sense!"

"… _What_?" Era repeated, staring incredulously at the other two heads. "Listen, I... I don't even... If you wanted to make an argument about not all Pokémon doing what is typical for their type, why didn't you just go with the whole flying thing that you brought up just a few moments ago?"

Richter chuckled as he watched Era's three heads continue to talk amongst themselves, before noticing Simon walking by.

"Hey there, Simon," Richter said, waving to him.

"Oh, good morning," Simon responded, waving back.

"Morning?" Richter inquired. "I think it's already past noon."

"Ah, well… I only got up a few minutes ago," Simon explained, tapping his spoons together sheepishly. "I spent the night over at Cassandra's house…"

" _Ooh_!" Era's right head said, grinning and looking over at Simon.

"… No, it wasn't like _that_!" Simon responded, blushing slightly. "Cassandra had a vision of Pandora being attacked, and asked me to bring her to Silver Woods. Turns out something _did_ attack Pandora, and we brought her back here to keep her safe."

"Huh, is that so?" Richter asked.

"Yeah…" Simon responded, nodding his head. "We don't really know who or what did it…"

"Hmm… Do you think this turn of events is something we should be concerned about?" Era's left head asked.

"Huh, why would we need to worry?" Era's middle head inquired. "I mean, I hope Pandora gets better and all that, but the thing that attacked her attacked her while she was at home, and that means the thing that attacked her is there, and not here, where we are, right?"

"Oh, but what if it leaves the forest?" Era's right head asked, tilting slightly to the side. "And then decides to come over here?"

"Ah, you think that might happen?" Era's middle head responded, looking somewhat worried.

"Well… Cassandra did have a theory regarding the identity of the attacker, but…" Simon said, rubbing the back of his head. "We won't know anything for certain until we've asked Pandora about it."

"Maybe we should be keeping our eyes open," Richter responded, crossing his arms. "Keep an eye out for anything unusual."

"What kind of unusual things?" Era's middle head asked.

"I think just about anything you don't usually see around here," Era's left head responded.

"Like Rayquaza?" Era's right head asked.

"Oh, that _is_ indeed something we don't usually see around here," Era's middle head responded, nodding slightly.

"… I doubt any legendary sky deities will show up, but at least you get the idea," Era's left head said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I'm going to go buy some Oran and Sitrus berries," Simon said and started walking towards one of the shops. "The healing properties of those berries should help Pandora recover faster."

"I hope everything turns out okay," Richter said.

"Me too," Era responded, nodding all three of her heads.

"Thanks," Simon replied. "Well, I'd better get going, then."

* * *

Cassandra was still keeping an eye on Pandora while she waited for Simon to return. She had this nasty feeling that something horrible was going to happen, but she didn't know what. She occasionally glanced towards the opening in the ceiling, wondering if the stars were trying to send her another message that had failed to reach her during the night. As she sat there lost in thought, Pandora began to stir.

"Ah… E-Erebos…" Pandora muttered as she slowly opened her eyes.

She looked around, taking a few moments to realize she was no longer in Silver Woods, and who was currently by her side.

"Cassandra…?" Pandora said, blinking a few times. "Where… is this…?"

"Pandora, you're awake!" Cassandra exclaimed, sighing in relief. "Thank goodness…"

"Is this… your house?" Pandora asked, looking around. "Why am I…?"

"Simon and I found you passed out in Silver Woods," Cassandra explained. "We thought you might be safer here, so… we brought you with us."

"I… see…" Pandora responded, closing her eyes for a moment. "Yes… I remember now…"

"What happened to you, Pandora?" Cassandra asked.

"I… I had just destroyed the dark magic scrolls," Pandora replied, opening her eyes again and looking up at Cassandra. "And then… Erebos showed up…"

"So… He _did_ survive…" Cassandra said, holding a hand to her chin.

"Yes, but… he's no longer a Mismagius…" Pandora responded, sighing. "His body was destroyed by the spell, but… his corrupted spirit is still around…"

"So… He went from ghost-type Pokémon… to _actual_ ghost?" Cassandra asked.

"I… suppose that's one way of putting it," Pandora replied, nodding her head slightly. "He still seems to have access to his dark magic too."

"I… see…" Cassandra responded, looking away.

"I'm back," Simon said, as he teleported back into the room with a handful of Oran and Sitrus berries. "Ah, I see Pandora is awake."

"Oh, hello," Pandora responded, looking over at Simon.

"Nice to see that you're up," Simon said. "I'm going to make you some berry juice, so just relax."

"Oh, you don't need to do that… I'll be fine, really," Pandora responded, trying to get up.

"I don't doubt that you'll be fine," Simon replied, glancing over at Pandora. "However, this will just help you regain your energy faster."

"… Understood," Pandora responded, nodding her head slightly. "Thank you."

While Simon prepared the berry juice, he listened to Cassandra explain what Pandora had told her regarding Erebos' fate.

"So… That's what happened?" Simon said, handing the cup of berry juice to Pandora.

"Yes…" Pandora responded, taking the cup. "I don't know what he will do next… He has to be stopped as soon as possible…"

"How do we do that?" Cassandra asked.

"Perhaps there might be a spell I could use…" Pandora responded, taking a sip of the berry juice. "I'd need to go back to Silver Woods to retrieve my magic scrolls, though…"

"That won't be necessary," Cassandra replied, smiling and pointing to the pile of papers on the table.

"Ah, you brought them with you?" Pandora asked, giving a small smile. "Thank you… That saves us some time…"

"I'm surprised the scrolls weren't destroyed when your brother attacked," Simon commented.

"That's because I was able to cast a spell on my most important scrolls during the fight against him, so I would be sure that there was still _something_ I could do…" Pandora explained. "The first thing I need to do is cast a spell to make sure that evil spirits can't get into this house, so that Erebos won't be able to attack you. Then, I need to cast the same spell on the rest of the town."

"I see…" Cassandra responded, nodding her head slightly. "And then what?"

"I'm not sure yet…" Pandora replied, taking another sip of the berry juice.

"I understand," Cassandra responded, sighing. "This… must be very difficult for you."

"I… I don't know if I'm able to do… whatever it might take to stop Erebos now," Pandora replied, looking down so that her eyes were hidden under the brim of her hat. "But… at the very least, I need to protect…"

"Uh… Sorry to interrupt, but…" Simon said, looking rather nervous. "Do either of you smell smoke?"

"What?" Cassandra responded, suddenly getting a nasty feeling that something terrible had happened while they were distracted.

Cassandra and Simon rushed outside to investigate, and were greeted by the sight of Illumine Town engulfed in flames.

"N-No, this can't be…" Cassandra muttered, staring blankly at the burning town.

"Wait here," Simon said, before teleporting away.

"Be careful, Simon…" Cassandra whispered, silently praying for things to turn out okay.

* * *

Richter shot a stream of water from his mouth at one of the burning buildings, but it didn't seem to be having any effect against the flames. Era was running around in circles behind him, despite the left head complaining that this was not helping them _at all_. As far as they could tell, they were trapped in this area as flames were blocking them off from the other parts of the town, as well as blocking the nearest way out of the town.

"Why can't I extinguish these flames?" Richter wondered out loud, looking around. "Are these… not normal flames?"

"I don't know," Era's left head commented, as she finally got herself to stop running around on the spot. "But instead of wasting your energy, I guess we should try to think of something else, although… there might not be much we can do in this situation."

"Ah, it's over!" Era's middle head shouted. "We're all going to end up as roast fowl!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Simon said as he teleported over to them.

"Simon!" Richter exclaimed, grinning.

"We're saved!" Era's right head said, smiling.

"Oh, thank goodness…" Era's middle head replied, giving a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry, I'll get you guys out of here now," Simon said, motioning for them to come closer.

"Thank you, Simon," Era's left head responded, nodding.

In a flash of light, the three Pokémon disappeared and reappeared a good distance away from the burning town.

"All right, you two wait here," Simon said. "There are still more Pokémon I need to save."

"Go for it," Richter responded, nodding his head slightly.

"Good luck, Simon!" Era's three heads said in unison, as Simon teleported away.

* * *

A Scizor and a Leavanny were struggling to stay standing from the heat, the flames slowly getting closer to them. Two Audino were trying their best to support the two, while a Banette was sitting on the Scizor's head in hopes of staying safe there. The Banette quietly wished that his body was made of a fireproof fabric, and hoped the flames wouldn't reach him. He glanced down with a concerned look at the Scizor and the Leavanny, wondering how they were going to get out of this situation.

"W-What are we going to do?" one of the two Audino with the group asked the other, looking rather worried.

"I don't know…" the other Audino responded, shaking her head. "These guys don't look like they can resist the heat much longer…"

Suddenly, Simon appeared in a flash of light.

"Look, Cassandra's boyfriend is here!" one of the Audino exclaimed.

"Please, help us out!" the other one said.

"I-I'm not Cassandra's… oh, never mind," Simon said, holding out his hands. "I'll get you guys out of here."

* * *

A Liepard and an Audino were attempting to figure out a way to get past a wall of fire that was blocking their path. As far as either of them could tell, there was no safe way to get around it. Jumping over it wasn't an option either. The Liepard had no intention of giving up, however.

"Come on… There has to be _something_ we can do!" the Liepard said, looking around.

"Um… We could call for help?" the Audino suggested.

"Hmm… I suppose that _would_ be a good idea…" the Liepard responded, sighing. "If it weren't for the fact that _everyone else_ is probably in danger too…"

As if on cue, Simon appeared. This time, he didn't bother waiting for them to say anything before he grabbed them and teleported them to safety. Then he teleported back to the town, as he sensed there were still more Pokémon to save. He paid little attention to the wooden buildings that were burning around him as he tracked down the various Pokémon that were trying to avoid the flames. The important thing was to find all of them and get them to safety.

* * *

Cassandra and Pandora were watching the burning town, quietly rooting for Simon and hoping that he would be able to evacuate everyone. Suddenly, Pandora heard a familiar laughter, and glanced up to see the dark spirit hovering amongst the smoke.

"Erebos…" Pandora muttered, glaring at the dark spirit.

"Huh, didn't except to see you here, little sister," Erebos commented, snickering a little. "So, what do you think? Doesn't this town look _much_ more illuminated now?"

"Erebos, put this fire out, right _now_!" Pandora shouted, before wincing in pain.

"Pandora…" Cassandra said, looking over at her friend with a concerned look.

"I-I'm fine," Pandora responded. "D-Don't worry about me!"

"You want me to put the fire out?" Erebos inquired, snickering some more. "And why should I listen to you?"

"Erebos… I'm warning you…" Pandora responded, shaking a little. "I'll… I'll…!"

"Pandora, try to save your energy," Cassandra said, putting her arm around the Mismagius. "You haven't fully recovered yet."

"Cassandra…" Pandora muttered.

"Look at you, Pandora," Erebos said, two red orbs of light staring down at the two Pokémon below. "Someone as weak as you could never defeat me."

Pandora didn't say anything. Cassandra didn't say anything either, even though she wanted to tell Erebos that Pandora was much stronger than he thought. She had a feeling that it was best to just remain silent for now.

"Well, I think I'm done here, so I think I'll go look for something else to do now!" Erebos said, as he slowly vanished into the smoke. "Perhaps… we'll meet again."

* * *

Thanks to Simon's efforts, the Pokémon of Illumine Town were all evacuated and brought to safety. The flames continued to burn on, until the buildings were reduced to nothing but ashes. Until Illumine Town was no more. The Pokémon looked out over the remains of their home, unsure of what to do now. As it started raining, they realized that they had to find somewhere else to stay for the night, preferably somewhere where they were sheltered from the rain.

Cassandra followed the other Pokémon, even though her own home was still intact. However, she just didn't feel like returning home.

"I must be the worst town oracle ever…" Cassandra muttered to herself. "I couldn't even do anything to protect my town, and now… there's not even a town for me to _be_ the oracle of…"

Pandora quietly shed a few tears as she watched Cassandra from a distance. She could tell that Cassandra was crying too. Pandora closed her eyes for a few moments, before heading back to Cassandra's house. She began looking through her magic scrolls, before she found the one she was looking for.

"It's strange…" Pandora said to herself, reading through the scroll. "Even though he did this horrible thing… I just can't bring myself to hate him…"

She quietly rolled up the scroll, taking it with her as she went back outside.

"I don't want to do this," Pandora muttered, before taking a deep breath and looking up with determination in her eyes. "But… since it's for Cassandra's sake… I'll do whatever it takes."

The rain continued to pour down as Pandora flew off into the night. Even though she hadn't fully recovered yet, she wasn't going to wait. She knew what she had to do, and nothing was going to stop her.

* * *

**End of Chapter 39**


	40. W-When did you become this strong!?

* * *

_"Over the course of the next few days, Pandora made her way through many mystery dungeons on her own, and gathered up certain materials as she went along. She had no idea what kind of chaos Erebos might've been causing in the meantime, and so wanted to gather all the parts she needed as soon as possible. Even though she had told herself that she would do whatever it took, she wasn't entirely sure if she would actually be able to bring herself to do it._

_Meanwhile, the Pokémon of Illumine Town had managed to set up a camp somewhere, and were managing pretty well despite everything that was happening. However, before they could go back and begin rebuilding their town, they had to do something about Erebos..."_

* * *

Cassandra was sitting on a rock while quietly watching the sky. She had been spending the nights seeking answers from the stars, and so had gotten much sleep. She had briefly returned home a few days ago to look for Pandora, but hadn't been able to find her. Cassandra just hoped for a vision to give her a clue about what to do next, whether it was how she could help the Pokémon she had failed, or how to locate Pandora.

"Mother… What should I do…?" Cassandra muttered, staring at the sky. "What _can_ I do at this point?"

Cassandra closed her eyes, feeling the soft breeze blowing against her face.

"Cassandra?"

Cassandra opened her eyes and glanced over her shoulder to see Simon approaching her.

"Simon…" Cassandra said, looking away.

"Cassandra, this isn't your fault," Simon said, putting his hand on Cassandra's upper arm.

"Yes, it is," Cassandra responded, sighing. "I'm the worst town oracle ever…"

"Even if Illumine Town was burned down, everyone is still here," Simon said, glancing over at the other Pokémon. "If we all work together, we can rebuild our town."

"I'm sure you can," Cassandra responded, nodding her head slightly. "After all, you guys manage fine on your own, so you'll probably all be fine without me."

"That's not true," Simon replied, looking down. "I… I certainly wouldn't want to live in a town without you in it…"

"… Just what do you _see_ in me, Simon?" Cassandra asked, turning around to face him.

"Uh, what do you mean?" Simon replied, blinking a few times. "You're... inexperienced as a town oracle, but I know your heart is in the right place. What you want most is to be able to help others, right?"

"Well… I suppose…" Cassandra responded, nodding her head slightly.

"Cassandra, look around," Simon said, pointing one of his spoons to the other Pokémon. "Do you see these Pokémon? They need _you,_ Cassandra."

"Me…?" Cassandra responded, pointing to herself.

"Before we can build a new town, we need to do something about Erebos," Simon said, smiling at Cassandra. "However, we don't know where he is, or how he can be stopped."

"But I don't know what to do either," Cassandra responded, looking downwards. "Just how am I supposed to be of any help…?"

"You're the only one who can read the stars," Simon replied. "Surely, they will give you the answers you need eventually."

"… Do you really think so?" Cassandra asked, looking up at Simon. "You… think I can still make things right?"

"I _know_ you can," Simon responded, still smiling at Cassandra. "But you look kind of tired. So, why don't you get some rest, and once the sun goes down, you can continue seeking out answers? It might be easier when you can see the stars clearly, after all."

"I… suppose I should do that," Cassandra replied, yawning.

Cassandra lay down near a tree, while Simon looked around at the other Pokémon that were heading off to gather food and other supplies. Everyone was doing their best at what they could do for now, but they would need a way to track down Erebos before they could do anything else. Surely, Cassandra's visions would help with that, but then there was the issue of what to do once they found him.

"Hmm… I wonder where Pandora disappeared to," Simon said, holding a hand to his chin. "She might be able to do something…"

He thought about it for a few moments, before he had a sudden realization.

"Perhaps… That's why she went off somewhere on her own," Simon said. "She's planning on dealing with her brother all by herself…"

* * *

Pandora made her way through a maze-like cave, trying her best to fight off the wild Pokémon on her way. As she finally reached the end of another mystery dungeon, she took a few moments to catch her breath before looking around. Using her Will-o-Wisp move to light up the final room of the cave, she managed to spot several small crystals sticking out from the ceiling. She then charged up and fired a Shadow Ball attack at the ceiling, and made sure to move out of the way as pieces of rock came falling down.

The blue flames formed a circle around the fallen rocks. She could see the crystals glisten among the fallen rocks, and smiled as she gathered them up.

"Good…" Pandora said, as she examined the crystals. "This should be just what I need…"

She put the crystals into a pouch in which she were keeping the items she had picked up on the different floors of the mystery dungeon, before looking back at the rocks and picking up one.

"Better take some of these as well…" Pandora said, putting away some of the rocks. "Just in case…"

Having finished her mission, Pandora retrieved an Escape Orb from the pouch, and used it to exit the mystery dungeon. Reappearing outside of the cave, she floated over to some bushes where she had hidden a basket full of different materials she had retrieved from other mystery dungeons.

"Hopefully, I have enough now…" Pandora muttered to herself, taking a scroll out from the basket and looking over it. "Let's see…"

* * *

_"While Pandora continued working on a way to stop Erebos, Cassandra kept a close eye on the stars in an attempt to figure out when and where they would have an opportunity to do something about Erebos. Eventually, the Pokémon from the ruined Illumine Town were joined by a few of the Pokémon living near the mystery dungeons nearby, who wanted to help in the battle against Erebos because he had been messing up their homes as well. Since they could use all the help they could get, Cassandra decided to assign them to different teams. They would help gather food, or search mystery dungeons for signs of Erebos._

_Eventually, Cassandra finally received a vision that gave her the clue she needed…"_

* * *

"… So, he'll be headed for the Axis Tower?" Simon asked, looking at Cassandra. "Why would he go there?"

"I'm not sure," Cassandra responded, shaking her head. "All I know is that he will be going there, and we should try to get there first."

"But… when, exactly, will he be going there?" Simon asked. "And what exactly are we supposed to do?"

"Hmm… I don't know," Cassandra responded. "I doubt luring him into a trap will be easy…"

"Even if we manage to lead him into an ambush, what would we do then?" Simon asked.

"I really don't know," Cassandra replied, sighing. "Pandora probably knows more about this than anyone else here, but I don't know where she went off to…"

"About that…" Simon said, looking away. "I… I have a theory as to what Pandora might be up to…"

Cassandra listened as Simon explained what he thought.

"I see…" Cassandra responded, nodding her head slightly. "So, Pandora might be trying to find a way to stop Erebos all on her own…"

"Do you think we should look for her?" Simon asked. "If we combine our power, I'm sure we can track her down."

Cassandra held a hand to her chin as she thought about it for a few moments, before shaking her head.

"No, I don't think that will be necessary," Cassandra responded, shaking her head. "I have a feeling that she will come find us once she has figured out what to do."

"What makes you think that?" Simon asked.

"I guess you could call it a hunch," Cassandra responded.

"You really believe in her that much?" Simon asked, tilting her head slightly. "Remember, it's her brother that is behind all of this."

"I know…" Cassandra responded, sighing. "It doesn't feel right to rely on her to handle this, but she's the only one who _can_ … She knows that too."

"Even if she knows that… Do you really think she can bring herself to do it?" Simon replied, looking away.

Cassandra didn't answer him. She just turned around and sent out a telepathic message to all the Pokémon that had gathered in the area. Even if she didn't believe it was possible to defeat him without Pandora's help, she still wanted to try to come up with a strategy for confronting Erebos. Since she knew where he would go in the future, she hoped that there was at least _something_ they could do.

* * *

_"Once again, Cassandra helped with preparations to head over to the mystery dungeons near the Axis Tower, organizing groups of Pokémon into teams, gathering up available items and trying to think of a battle plan. If nothing else, she hoped that they at the very least could keep Erebos from causing any more chaos until Pandora could find a way to stop him for good. Simon did what he could to help, and even though Cassandra kept a smile on her face as she tried to boost the morale of the other Pokémon, he could tell that she still had her doubts._

_In the meantime, Pandora was working on building a small dark-gray chest made from stone, decorated with purple gems. A part of her hoped that she wouldn't have to use this magical item, but she knew that she couldn't let her resolve falter. If she didn't have the willpower, there was no way the spell would work. Pandora just kept working, quietly reminding herself that it was for Cassandra's sake._

_Once preparations to head for Axis Tower were complete…"_

* * *

Cassandra quietly watched a few teams head into Meridian Forest, taking a deep breath in order to relax. As she thought about everything that had happened, Simon walked up to her. The two psychic types just quietly observed the other Pokémon, until Cassandra finally turned to Simon and spoke up:

"Simon, what do you think will happen from now on?" Cassandra asked, once again looking at the teams by the entrance to the mystery dungeon. "After all of this is over… We're going to rebuild our town, aren't we?"

"I suppose so," Simon responded, nodding his head.

"And then… we'll all go back to our normal lives?" Cassandra said, holding a hand to her chin. "Well… Maybe normal isn't the right word…"

"You have a point there," Simon replied. "It's not possible for things to go back to _exactly_ how they were before, but with your guidance, I'm sure we'll be able to create something new and wonderful."

"… Thank you, Simon," Cassandra responded, smiling at him. "Although, sometimes I wonder if you might have a bit _too much_ faith in me…"

"Perhaps I do," Simon replied, chuckling a little.

"… Well, I suppose it is about time we get going as well?" Cassandra asked, looking over at the entrance to the mystery dungeon. "Most of the teams are probably already on their way, so we'd better go after them."

"Yes, let's get going," Simon responded, nodding his head. "I'll just go get the items."

While Cassandra waited in front of the mystery dungeon entrance, Simon quickly went over to pick up a set of basic items needed for exploring mystery dungeons that had been prepared for this occasion. As he joined Cassandra by the entrance to the dungeon, something occurred to him.

"Cassandra, wait…" Simon said.

"What is it, Simon?" Cassandra asked, looking over at Simon.

"Well, it's just… this will be a dangerous mission," Simon responded, nervously tapping his spoons together. "And, um… if anything were to happen… I mean, not that anything bad _will_ happen to either of us, but… I have something I want to say anyways…"

"Yes?" Cassandra replied, nodding her head slightly. "Go on, I'm listening."

"C-Cassandra… I have always… I mean, for a long time, I've…" Simon stuttered, blushing slightly. "The way it is… you see… I…"

"Don't worry, Simon," Cassandra said, smiling and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Just say what it is you want to say."

"I-I'm trying…" Simon responded, nodding his head slightly. "I just… can't quite seem to find the right words…"

"But you know _what_ it is you wanted to say, right?" Cassandra asked.

"Y-Yes, but…" Simon responded, glancing around as if to make sure no one was watching or listening in on their conversation. "I'm sorry, I… I guess I'm just not brave enough…"

"That's not true," Cassandra replied, shaking her head. "Don't you remember how brave you were, when Erebos set our town on fire and you just teleported in there and started evacuating everyone?"

"Ah, I… I did do that, didn't I?" Simon responded, rubbing the back of his head.

"You certainly did," Cassandra replied, smiling at Simon.

"Well, then… I guess I'm a _little_ brave…" Simon said, blushing slightly.

"You're _very_ brave," Cassandra responded.

"Oh… Thank you, Cassandra," Simon replied, smiling back at her.

"No problem," Cassandra responded, nodding her head. "Should we get going, then? If we want to catch up to the others, we should probably head inside the dungeon now."

"I guess you're right," Simon replied, nodding his head slightly.

Cassandra walked over to the entrance to the mystery dungeon in Meridian Forest, and was about to step inside. Simon closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath.

"Cassandra, I love you!" Simon suddenly blurted out.

Cassandra was startled by Simon's sudden outburst and turned around, while Simon covered his mouth with his hands upon realizing what he had just said. The two psychic type Pokémon quietly looked at each other, until Simon managed to speak up once more.

"I… I finally said it…" Simon said, sighing in relief.

"Simon…" Cassandra responded, smiling and embracing the Alakazam. "I love you too!"

"… Really!?" Simon replied, looking up at Cassandra.

"Of course I do," Cassandra responded. "You've always been there for me, supporting me, helping me… Even when I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing or not, you've always believed in me… I can't tell you how happy that makes me."

Simon just quietly stood there in an almost stunned silence for a few moments, before a smile appeared on his face. He grabbed Cassandra's hand, and the two went into the Meridian Forest together.

"Don't worry, Cassandra," Simon said, confidently smiling at her. "I'll protect you from any wild Pokémon that get in our way!"

"Of course," Cassandra responded, nodding her head slightly. "Since you finally found the courage to tell me your true feelings, I'm sure nothing can defeat you now!"

"That's right!" Simon replied, confidently leading Cassandra. After a few moments, he suddenly realized something. "Since I finally found the courage… Wait a minute… Cassandra, did you… already know?"

"Well… Yes, I did," Cassandra responded, smiling sheepishly. "I've known for quite some time, actually, but I didn't say anything because I knew you would tell me when you were ready."

"Ah, I see…" Simon replied, blinking a few times. "But… how did you find out?"

"Simon, I'm a _psychic_ type Pokémon," Cassandra responded, giggling a little. "Keeping secrets from us isn't easy, as I'm sure you know."

"Oh… right," Simon replied, blushing slightly.

"Come on, let's hurry up!" Cassandra said and smiled at Simon.

"Yes, let's pick up the pace," Simon responded, nodding his head.

* * *

_"Cassandra and Simon followed the different teams of Pokémon headed for Axis Tower. Elsewhere, Pandora was adding the finishing touches to the magical stone chest…"_

* * *

A purple aura surrounded the chest as Pandora charged it with her own ghost energy. The gems on the chest began to light up one by one, and soon they were all shining brightly while a purple glow remained around the chest even after Pandora stopped charging it. She picked up the box with her sleeve-like arms, and examined it. She smiled as she admired it.

"It's done…" Pandora muttered, putting the stone box into her bag. "Now, I just need to find Erebos…"

Her smile faded a little, and she left the cave she had been hiding in. She floated further away from the cave until she reached a pond, and began chanting a spell. Soon, an image began to show in the water.

"… Is that Axis Tower?" Pandora asked, staring into the water. "Why would my brother want to go there…?"

She stared down into the pond for a few more moments, before her eyes suddenly widened.

"No, he couldn't be after…?" Pandora muttered, before turning around and quickly flying off in the direction of the tower. "I can't let this go on any longer…!"

* * *

_"Axis Tower is where eight crystals help maintain the balance of our world, and protect this region. At the time, no one knew exactly what Erebos' intentions for coming here were, but now, I think we can all guess what he was probably planning to do. The various teams soon arrived near the tower, and prepared to ambush Erebos the moment his shadowy form appeared. However, Erebos realized what they were doing, and forced them out from their hiding spots with his dark magic._

_Cassandra and Simon did their best to lead the various teams in the battle against the evil spirit, but neither side was gaining an advantage. Erebos' shadow form and his dark magic allowed him to resist most of the attacks thrown at him, while the other Pokémon were able to resist the various dark magic assaults by helping out each other."_

* * *

"What should we do, Cassandra?" Richter asked, glancing over at the Gothitelle while trying to pull off some vines that had tangled themselves around Era's legs.

"At this rate, this might go on forever…" Era's left head commented.

"I… I'm thinking about it…" Cassandra responded, looking up at the shadowy form fighting against the Pokémon on the ground.

"At least we're able to do _something_ ," Simon commented. "Although, I wonder how much longer we can keep this up…"

"Cassandra, it's coming this way!" Era's heads shouted in unison, as the large shadow suddenly flew towards them.

Simon quickly moved in front of Cassandra, glaring at the dark spirit as it headed towards them.

"I won't let you hurt her!" Simon exclaimed, stretching out an arm as if to block the path.

Erebos just laughed, swirling around the two psychic types.

"So, you intend to protect her?" Erebos asked mockingly. "Just _how_ do you intend to do that? Do you honestly think you can fight _me_?"

"If it's for Cassandra, then I certainly won't lose to you!" Simon responded.

"Oh, so that's how it is?" Erebos replied, seeming rather amused. "Willing to fight a foe you can't beat, just to protect your special somebody… For an Alakazam, you're not very bright, are you?"

Erebos suddenly wrapped his shadowy form around Simon, much like a snake, and lifted him up from the ground.

"Simon!" Cassandra called out, reaching out for him.

Erebos just laughed, and watched as Simon struggled to try to free himself.

"Tell me, did you think that the power of love would allow you to do something?" Erebos asked, tightening his grip around the Alakazam slightly. "While love is probably a powerful thing and all, you can't exactly use it to fight evil spirits, now can you?"

" _He_ might not be able to defeat you, but perhaps _I_ can!" a familiar voice called out.

Cassandra smiled, and Erebos seemed surprised as they saw who it was.

"Pandora, I knew you'd come!" Cassandra said, sighing in relief.

"Pandora…?" Erebos said, staring at his sister. "Hmm, what is this…?"

Pandora glared at her brother, before sending a wave of ghostly energy in his direction, forcing him to drop Simon. Cassandra quickly ran over to the Alakazam to make sure he was all right, and Simon gave a quick thumbs-up to show that he was. Erebos shuddered for a moment, before recovering from the attack.

"Pandora, what do you think you're doing?" Erebos asked, snickering a little.

"Erebos, one way or another, I'm putting an end to this now," Pandora responded, setting down the small stone box on the ground. "If you surrender now, and help fix the mess you made, then I won't have to take you down by force."

"… Pandora, I thought you _knew_ this by now," Erebos replied. "But you are the weaker of the two of us, which means you can _never_ defeat me!"

"You underestimate my power, Erebos," Pandora responded. "I _do_ have the power to defeat you, and I _will_ use it unless you surrender now!"

"Ooh, I am _so_ scared," Erebos replied mockingly. "My silly little sister is going to punish me!"

Erebos laughed maniacally as he blocked off an attack by one of the teams on the ground, before using his dark magic to stop their movements. He then turned his attention back to Cassandra and Simon.

"You know, Pandora… I'm glad you came," Erebos said, giggling gleefully as he stared down at Cassandra with glowing red eyes. "Now you can watch as I kill your friend!"

"I already told you I won't let you hurt Cassandra!" Simon shouted as he once again moved to get between Cassandra and Erebos.

"Oh, how rude of me," Erebos responded. "If you want to die first, then that's okay too!"

Simon grabbed Cassandra's arms and teleported out of the way just as a bolt of dark energies were about to hit them. The two reappeared a short distance away.

"Simon…" Cassandra said, embracing the Alakazam.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Simon responded, smiling at Cassandra.

"Ah, teleportation," Erebos commented. "Very clever, but it'll only delay your demise."

Pandora sighed as Erebos fired off a few more bolts of darkness, Simon just barely managing to teleport out of the way with Cassandra. She stared down at the stone box for a few moments.

"… I guess I have no choice," Pandora muttered.

Pandora closed her eyes, and began chanting a spell. One by one, the purple gems on the chest lit up, and the lid opened up. As light started shining from the empty box, Erebos stopped his attacks and turned around.

"What are you doing, Pandora?" Erebos asked.

Pandora did not answer him. She just closed her eyes and continued to chant. Soon, Erebos felt as if he was being pulled towards the box.

"W-What's happening!?" Erebos exclaimed, trying to resist the magical force pulling him in.

"This spell will seal away a dark spirit," Pandora explained, opening her eyes and looking up at Erebos. "You left behind some traces of dark magic near our home, so I used those to make sure that the spell would target you."

"P-Pandora, you… you can't do this!" Erebos shouted, glaring at his sister. "Make it stop!"

"I can't," Pandora replied, solemnly shaking her head. "The spell can't be stopped now, and as long as my magic powers it, you will never escape."

"You…!" Erebos snarled, firing a bolt of dark magic towards Pandora. Pandora simply raised one of her sleeve-like arms, instantly creating a barrier to block it.

"Impossible!" Erebos exclaimed. "W-When did _you_ become this strong!?"

"I… I'm not sure," Pandora responded, looking away. "However, no matter where this power came from, it'll allow me to put an end to this chaos!"

Cassandra, Simon and the other Pokémon watched in awe as Erebos struggled against the power of Pandora's spell. Eventually, Erebos just laughed and stopped fighting it.

"Fine, I'll let you win this time," Erebos said as his smoke-like being was being absorbed by the box.

"Erebos…!" Pandora gasped out, a few tears falling from her eyes.

"But this isn't over," Erebos said, snickering. "Your magic will run out eventually, and when it does…"

As the rest of Erebos' spirit disappeared into the box, the lid slammed shut. Things were quiet for a few moments, before Pandora picked up the box once more. Pandora just stared at the box, while Cassandra carefully approached her.

"Pandora…" Cassandra said, reaching out a hand.

"Cassandra, just…" Pandora choked out, not even turning to look at her friend. "I… I need some time alone…"

Cassandra watched as Pandora floated away, holding onto the box tightly. Soon, Pandora had vanished from sight.

"Pandora…" Cassandra muttered, barely even registering Simon's hand on her shoulder.

* * *

_"The next few days were rather busy. Cassandra and the others returned home and began building a new town, which they named "Fenix Town". Cassandra motivated and helped the Pokémon with the rebuilding, helping them find good materials. They decided to make most of the new buildings out of stone, since stone doesn't burn as easily. Simon had moved in with Cassandra, and as usual, did what he could to help support her._

_Pandora hid the stone chest containing Erebos' spirit somewhere, and after a few days, felt like talking again. Cassandra sent some Pokémon over to Silver Woods to build a new home for Pandora, and allowed Pandora to stay with her and Simon in the meantime…"_

* * *

"The new town is coming along nicely," Pandora commented, as she and Cassandra were taking a walk.

"It is, isn't it?" Cassandra responded, smiling at Pandora. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here? You, me and Simon… I'm sure the three of us would be happy together!"

"Thanks for the offer," Pandora replied, smiling back at Cassandra. "But… I don't really feel like I'd fit in here that well."

"What do you mean?" Cassandra asked. "There's room for all types of Pokémon here!"

"Even so, my home is in Silver Woods," Pandora responded, shrugging slightly. "That's just how it is."

"Well, if that's where you feel at home, then… I guess that's fine," Cassandra replied, sighing. "Really would've liked it if you'd stay, though…"

"We can send each other letters," Pandora said, smiling at Cassandra. "And you'll come visit me, won't you?"

"Of course I will!" Cassandra replied, nodding her head.

The two Pokémon continued walking, when they noticed Simon, Richter, Era and a few other Pokémon apparently discussing something.

"What's going on over there?" Pandora asked.

"Oh, it's about a new system for dealing with the mystery dungeons," Cassandra responded, looking over at the other Pokémon. "We think it'd be more organized if we had actual teams dedicated to helping out lost Pokémon and such."

"Hmm… That does sound interesting," Pandora replied, holding a hand to her chin.

"We've already been trying out such a system when we've been gathering materials for building our new town," Cassandra explained. "But it needs work."

"If you keep working on it, I'm sure you'll find ways to improve, and keep improving on it," Pandora said, smiling at Cassandra. "Maybe there's something I can contribute as well."

"Really?" Cassandra asked, looking over at Pandora. "Like what?"

"Well… To get out of dungeons quickly, you need Escape Orbs, right?" Pandora said, tilting her head slightly. "However… Escape Orbs can only be used once, meaning they're rather impractical if one intends to explore mystery dungeons on a regular basis."

"Hmm… You have a point there," Cassandra responded, holding a hand to her chin.

"If only we had something that would allow us to escape mystery dungeons quickly, something that could be used over and over again…" Pandora said.

"That would be nice," Cassandra responded, nodding her head. "Can you make such an item?"

"We'll see," Pandora replied, winking at Cassandra.

"Thanks, Pandora!" Cassandra responded, smiling and looking up at the clear blue sky. "Ah, the future is bright, isn't it?"

"… I suppose it is," Pandora replied, nodding her head.

* * *

_"… I think this is a good place to stop. For those of you wondering what happened afterwards, I can inform you that the new town continued to grow bigger, and while Cassandra had a lot of work to do helping with the development of the town and the rescue teams, she was just happy to be able to help. Cassandra and Simon lived happily together, and eventually had two daughters together. The older of the two daughters eventually became the new town oracle, while the younger decided to leave on a journey to see other regions and how Pokémon in other parts of the world live their lives. She would often send letters to her older sister back home, and supposedly the older sister got a lot of new ideas for the town from the things her younger sister described in her letters._

_Pandora wrote down everything that had happened, with her, Erebos and how to recreate the spell she had used to seal him away should it become necessary. She hoped this knowledge would come in handy for future generations. Pandora and Cassandra stayed close friends, and when Cassandra reached the end of her lifespan, Pandora followed her to the next world not long after._

_Cassandra's oldest daughter realized that with Pandora gone, the magic she had left behind would gradually fade. This of course meant that the seal on Erebos would eventually weaken as well, and once it had weakened enough, it was very likely that he might escape. Therefore, she decided to look for someone who could study the magic Pandora had left behind, and if Erebos ever escaped, there would be someone who could stop him._

_The stars eventually led her to a young Mismagius named Samara, who had the magical potential needed. Samara was looking to improve her skills in magic, and so agreed to the town oracle's request. Samara moved into Pandora's old home in Silver Woods, and regularly sent letters to the town oracle to let her know of the progress she had made._

_And she would later also act as sort of an advisor and friend to future town oracles. In fact, Samara and I have been working together to try to figure out how to deal with the current situation…"_

* * *

"Huh?" Azure suddenly exclaimed.

"What is it?" Stella asked, looking over at Azure.

"Oh, um… Sorry," Azure responded, smiling sheepishly. "Just a little surprised to hear that this Samara is still around, since… you know, she'd have to be _really_ old."

"Well, as you probably already know, Pokémon tend to age at different rates," Stella replied, nodding her head slightly. "And for ghost type Pokémon, it's a little different. It's… difficult to tell when their life spans might end. They claim that they stay in our world for as long as they need to."

"Ah, right," Azure responded, nodding her head.

"Anyways… The story is not over," Stella said, taking a deep breath. "What happened back then was merely the first part of it."

"So, because Pandora left this world a long time ago, her magic weakened over time…" Sera said, looking up at Cassandra. "And Erebos was able to break the seal because of that?"

"Pretty much," Bow responded, nodding her head.

"I suspect that the unfortunate Sigilyph currently being possessed by him may also have unwittingly helped break the seal," Stella added, crossing her arms. "He most likely stumbled upon the place where Pandora hid the chest, and tried to take a closer look at the "treasure" he found."

"Stella, I have a question," Blitz said, raising a paw.

"Yes, Blitz?" Stella responded, looking over at the young Shinx. "What is it?"

"Your friend Samara… Can she reverse the spells Erebos cast on our friends?" Blitz asked, rubbing the yellow rings on his forelegs together. "Can she help Hercules and the others?"

"She can," Stella responded, nodding her head. "She's already working on something that can reverse the effects of the spells Erebos cast. She will send me another letter once she finishes working on them."

"I see," Blitz replied, sighing in relief. "I hope she manages to finish them soon…"

"Same here," Azure said. "I want my water attacks back!"

Chiaki had been paying close attention to Stella's story, and was now in deep thought. He barely even noticed that there were other Pokémon around; talking about what Stella had just told them all. To think that he and his friends were involved in something that began such a long time ago, and that they would probably have a role in finishing it. So much had happened in just a few days. Chiaki hoped that once this was all over, he and his friends could spend some time together and just relax and have fun.

However, before that time could come, there would probably be even more challenges for them to face. They had found four of the crystals, and four more were still hidden somewhere. And like with the four first crystals, Erebos had probably set up his magical traps around the remaining ones as well. They had found ways to get around the previous obstacles Erebos had put in their way, so surely they'd be able to get to the remaining crystals, right?

But there was also the issue of his lost memories… Could Samara perhaps restore his memories? Or would his memories come back once Erebos was defeated? He wondered where Elina was…

"Chiaki, you okay?" Sera asked, poking the Mienfoo with a paw.

"Huh? Oh, sorry," Chiaki responded, shaking his head. "I was just… thinking."

"Oh, I see," Sera replied, nodding her head.

"Maybe we should head home?" Blitz suggested, looking over at Chiaki. "I know the sun hasn't even gone down yet, but… I kind of don't feel like doing any missions today."

"Me neither," Sera said, looking down at the ground.

"Well… See you tomorrow, I guess," Azure responded, shrugging slightly. "I suppose I'll head back to the café or something."

"I'll go with you!" Frederick said, nodding his head.

Azure and Frederick headed off towards the café, while Sera said good-bye to Blitz and Chiaki, before heading home. Blitz and Chiaki began walking back to their house as well.

"I hope Stella hears from Samara soon," Blitz said, staring at the ground as they walked.

"Yeah…" Chiaki replied, nodding his head slightly.

Now everyone finally knew Erebos' true identity, and it had given them some things to think about. However, at least there was one bright side to it, and that was the fact that Stella and her friend Samara were already in the process of thinking up a plan for how to defeat Erebos. Until then, the only thing the other Pokémon of Fenix Town could do was continue to go about their everyday lives.

* * *

**End of Chapter 40**


	41. Some things will never change.

* * *

No matter how different things seemed, the fact that tomorrow would come still stayed the same. Another new day had begun, and while most rescue teams were probably already on their way into the main part of town to make their preparations for today's missions, Sera had not even gotten out of her bed yet. She was awake, though, unlike her oldest brother Yoru, who was still asleep in his bed. Sera was quietly thinking about what Stella had told them all yesterday, about who Erebos was and when this had all started.

She kept thinking about Erebos' sister, Pandora, and how she had ultimately been forced to magically seal away her own brother. Sera felt sorry for her. Pandora had really cared about her brother a lot, yet she couldn't do anything else to stop him. Sera glanced over at Yoru, who was still snoring and seemed to be trying to ignore light of the sun shining into the room as a way of telling him that it was morning and time to get up.

While watching the sleeping Umbreon, Sera heard light footsteps coming into the room and turned to see Flare standing in the doorway.

"You're still in bed, Sera?" Flare asked, tilting his head slightly. "You're not feeling ill, are you?"

"No, I'm fine," Sera responded, getting up. "I was just thinking about some things."

"Ah, I see," Flare replied, nodding his head. "As you get older, I guess you tend to start doing that more often."

"Oh? Did you think about a lot of things when you were my age?" Sera asked.

"I suppose I did," Flare responded, nodding his head slightly. "Anyways, it's time for breakfast."

Flare then looked over at Yoru, and walked up to him. He then started lightly shaking the Umbreon with his paws.

"You need to get up too, Yoru," Flare said.

"Why…?" Yoru muttered, opening his eyes slightly.

"Because it's morning and it's time to eat breakfast," Flare responded. "You can probably take a nap later this afternoon, if you want to."

"Okay, fine…" Yoru replied, yawning and stretching.

* * *

"… And even though it was an accident, Irvin still gets a bit nervous around Svanhild," Sirena explained, having been telling Amethyst about some of her friends while helping prepare breakfast. "Other than that, they get along just fine."

"I see," Amethyst responded, nodding her head slightly. "It's nice to hear that you have such good friends."

"I could introduce you to them sometime," Sirena suggested.

"Ah, sure," Amethyst responded, smiling at Sirena. "I would like to meet them."

"Did you have any friends like that when you were my age?" Sirena asked.

"Hmm… Not really," Amethyst responded, shaking her head. "I think that when I was your age, I spent most of my time with you and Yoru."

"Oh, I see," Sirena replied, nodding her head. "I remember those times… Back when I was an Eevee, I thought you were like, the most amazing big sister ever."

"Yes, I remember that," Amethyst said, smiling. "You were always following me around, asking me questions and wanting me to show you my powers…"

"Yeah…" Sirena replied, smiling sheepishly. "I must've been really annoying back then, huh?"

"No, I didn't mind it at all," Amethyst responded, shaking her head. "I really enjoyed spending time with you."

"You did?" Sirena replied.

"Of course," Amethyst responded, nodding her head. "I spent a lot of time with you and Yoru, not just because I had to look after you while our parents were at work, but because I loved spending time with my younger siblings."

"… I see," Sirena replied, nodding her head slightly.

"I haven't been able to develop quite the same connection with Flare or Volt, though," Amethyst said, sighing. "And while Sera seems to be quite fond of me, I don't really feel like I've really gotten to spend enough time with her either."

"Don't worry about it," Sirena responded, smiling at Amethyst. "There's still plenty of time for that, isn't there?"

"… I guess so," Amethyst replied, nodding her head.

Volt soon entered the room, and shortly after, the other three siblings joined them as well. While the six of them were eating their breakfast, Sera kept quietly observing her older siblings. As she looked around at them, she thought that something seemed different somehow. Her gaze lingered on her two older sisters for a while.

 _"Sirena has a really pretty smile,"_ Sera thought to herself. _"Come to think of it, she hasn't complained as much lately… and Amethyst seems to be happy as well. It's nice to see them get along…"_

Sera thought about how she cared about her older siblings, even if they could be annoying at times. She knew it was the same for them. Even if they didn't get along at times, she didn't need to worry about it. There was no way any of her siblings would end up as enemies the way Erebos and Pandora did.

"Yoru, perhaps you and Volt can go for a walk later?" Amethyst suggested, looking over at the Umbreon.

"Uh… Why me?" Yoru asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Because you need more exercise," Amethyst responded.

"What do you mean?" Yoru replied, looking down at himself. "My body looks just fine…"

"But you won't be able to keep that figure of yours if you don't start doing some more exercise!" Amethyst responded, giving Yoru a stern look. "Not to mention all the possible health problems you might develop if you just lay around doing nothing all day every day when you are capable of doing something."

"Um, but… I doubt I can keep up with Volt," Yoru said, glancing over at the Jolteon. "He's so fast, and I'm… not."

"It's not a race, though, is it?" Volt commented, looking over at the others. "In that case, don't worry if I outrun you."

"… I don't think that's the problem here," Flare said, looking over at his younger brother.

"Besides, Sera manages to do fine without supervision when she's out with her friends on missions and stuff, right?" Yoru said, smiling at Amethyst. "So, surely Volt would be fine on his own since he's older than Sera, right?"

"Whether that's the case or not, you're still going with him," Amethyst responded. "If you're not going to help me and Sirena with the daily chores, then at least spend some time with your younger siblings and get some exercise!"

"Listen, I really do appreciate your concern," Yoru replied, still smiling. "But keep in mind that I'm a Pokémon that prefers staying up at night. The day… is really not my thing."

"Yoru, when you move out and get a place of your own, you can manage your own sleep schedule," Amethyst responded, sighing. "But as long as we're all living together, you have to try to sleep at night like the rest of us do."

"I know," Yoru replied, nodding his head. "It's because mom and dad have to get up early for work, isn't it?"

As she listened to the conversation between her two oldest siblings, Sera realized that Amethyst was bringing up something that she hadn't thought about all that much. She, her siblings and their parents wouldn't all be living together like this forever. At some point, Amethyst and the others would leave and find their own places to live. Even Sera herself would probably be leaving this house someday, as hard as it was for her to imagine.

Soon, her train of thought led her to think about her friends.

 _"I wonder… just how long will we all be together?"_ Sera thought, staring at nothing in particular.

How long would Blitz be staying in Fenix Town? Would he eventually have to return to Lightning Plateau and become the leader of the Luxray pride? And what would happen to Chiaki? Would he eventually get his memories back, and go back to wherever he lived before? Did Azure or Frederick have any plans for the future? As more and more questions came to mind, Sera wondered if she'd have to pay a visit to Stella and ask her about the future.

 _"The future is… kind of scary, when you think of it like this…"_ Sera thought, her ears drooping down slightly. _"I guess this is why Blitz doesn't like to think about it…"_

Once breakfast was over, and Amethyst finally convinced Yoru to take Volt with him for a walk, Sera wondered what she was going to do now. She wasn't sure if she felt like joining her teammates on a mission today, but if she didn't go, they might worry about her. They already had worries of their own, so they probably didn't need another thing to worry about.

"Sera, are you okay?" Flare asked as he sat down next to her. "Still got a lot on your mind?"

"Uh… Yes…" Sera responded, nodding her head slightly. "Hey, Flare? How long do you think we'll all be living together?"

"Ah, concerns about the future, is it?" Flare replied, giving her a friendly smile. "You know you're growing up when you start thinking about these things. However, I'm afraid I don't know the answer to your question."

"I see…" Sera responded, sighing.

"Sera, even if we can't be together forever, we'll always be siblings, right?" Flare said.

"Uh… Yes, of course," Sera replied, nodding her head slightly.

"Some things will never change," Flare explained, smiling at Sera.

"So… Even if we move to different places, we'll still be a family," Sera responded, thinking about it for a moment. "And… even if Blitz and Chiaki were to leave somewhere, we'd still be friends…?"

"Exactly," Flare replied, nodding his head.

Sera thought about it for a few moments, before a smile crossed her face.

"Yeah, that sounds about right!" Sera said, beaming. "Thank you, Flare!"

"No problem," Flare responded, smiling back at Sera.

"I guess I'd better go see my friends now!" Sera said, grinning.

"Yes, go do that," Flare replied, nodding his head. "They're probably waiting for you."

Sera hurried outside and made her way towards town, feeling a little better now. However, things seemed unusually quiet in the town plaza. Normally one could hear the confident voices of rescue teams chatting with the friendly shopkeepers as they made their preparations for their next mission, but today neither the rescue teams nor the shopkeepers seemed to be in the mood for talking as much. Sera could hear hushed voices of rescue teams talking about how distortions in space had started appearing in more locations. Just how far would they continue to spread? Some of them were also talking about what Stella had explained to everyone, and seemed frightened at the thought of Erebos' dark magic.

Wade the Lombre seemed to be trying to go about his business as usual, greeting customers to the shop with a smile and asking what he or Vic could do for them today. Vic the Nuzleaf just sat there next to him, absentmindedly polishing a wonder orb with a distant look on his face. Then again, this kind of behavior was pretty normal for Vic. Over by the item warehouse, Lionel the Linoone kept checking and double-checking the lists over everything the rescue teams were currently keeping stored with him. Sera assumed it was his way of trying to relax in this current situation.

Marietta the Ledian was just sitting there with her four arms resting against the counter, not really seeming to be paying much attention to the Pokémon walking past the bank. It seemed as if her thoughts were elsewhere. Sera wondered just who or what Marietta was thinking about? Hopefully she'd be able to focus on her job if any customers were to show up.

Zap the Rotom seemed to be more fidgety than normal, although Sera wasn't sure if it was because of the current situation, if was because he hadn't had that many customers lately and he was getting impatient, or if he simply had too much electricity built up within his body at the moment. Then again, considering Zap's body seemed to be _made of_ electrical energy, was it even _possible_ for him to have too much electricity stored inside of him?

Bijou the Sableye didn't have any customers at the moment either. She was currently just sitting there, rolling a round rock back and forth over the counter with a bored look on her face. At least Sera _assumed_ it was an expression of boredom, since it was kind of hard to tell with Bijou due to her gem stone eyes and the fact that her mouth wasn't visible when it was closed. As she walked past, Sera noticed that the rock that Bijou was playing with had a bite taken out of it. While she knew it wasn't good manners to play with ones food, Sera decided not to comment on it.

Celio the Togetic was checking on one of the eggs he was looking after, smiling as he felt it move slightly in his small arms.

"You're going to go grow up to be a strong and kind Pokémon, I just know it," Celio softly whispered to the egg.

Celio didn't seem to be worried at all. Since it was in his species' nature to spread happiness, he was probably one of the few Pokémon in town who had absolutely no doubts that things were going to turn out okay. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing to be worried about. Sera wondered if Pokémon that had yet to hatch could feel anything that was outside of the egg? If so, then surely Celio's feelings would reach them and let them know that there was nothing to be afraid of.

"I hope they find a way to stop Erebos from causing any more trouble," Sera muttered to herself. "And that we find the remaining four crystals soon…"

Sera left the town plaza and continued making her way up to the rescue team HQ. Inside, rescue teams were standing around as usual, checking the bulletin boards and discussing which missions to take. Sera looked around for her friends, and spotted Chiaki standing outside of Giselle's office, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

"Is something on your mind?" Sera asked as she approached the Mienfoo.

"Huh?" Chiaki said, opening his eyes and smiling as he noticed Sera. "Oh, hi Sera!"

"Hi," Sera replied, waving her paw. "Is Blitz here too?"

"Yeah, he's currently checking up on Hercules," Chiaki responded, nodding his head. "Hercules is still asleep because of that spell Erebos put on him…"

Soon Blitz came out from behind the pink curtain and joined his two friends.

"He's still the same…" Blitz muttered, sighing.

"Don't worry, Blitz," Sera said, trying to give a reassuring smile. "Stella said that Samara is working on a cure for the ones Erebos cursed, right? She'll probably have it ready soon!"

"I hope so," Blitz responded, nodding his head.

"Soon, Azure, Hercules and the others will be back to normal…" Chiaki said, holding his paw to his chin. "… I wonder if this means that I'll be getting my memory back too."

"Oh, right!" Sera exclaimed, looking over at Chiaki. "Erebos is the one who caused your memory loss, isn't he?"

"I think so," Chiaki replied, nodding his head.

"Actually, I wouldn't be so sure about that," Blitz said.

"What do you mean?" Sera asked as she and Chiaki turned to Blitz.

"It's about our encounter with Erebos when we went to rescue Bow," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "Back then… Erebos didn't seem to react in any way to Chiaki being there, not even just a quick glance over at him to suggest that he recognized him."

"Huh, you remembered something like that?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah," Blitz replied, nodding his head. "Erebos doesn't seem like the type who would just ignore someone he had cursed like that…"

"But…" Chiaki said, looking somewhat confused. "I'm _sure_ that I must've met Erebos somewhere before…"

"I'm not saying you didn't," Blitz responded. "However, I think we may have to consider the possibility that Erebos isn't the one responsible for your memory loss. There might be another reason."

"Another reason…?" Chiaki muttered, staring at the ground.

"I'll admit that I can't really think of anything else that might've caused it," Blitz responded, sheepishly rubbing his forelegs together. "But I felt that I had to tell you my thoughts on the matter anyways."

"… I see," Chiaki replied.

"… Maybe Elina knows something?" Sera suggested.

"I haven't seen her since we went to rescue Bow," Chiaki responded, shaking his head. "I want to talk to her, but I don't know where she is."

"Ah, I see…" Sera replied, sighing. "That Elgyem… She's a tricky one to track down, isn't she?"

"… Maybe Kala knows where she is," Blitz said, looking over at Chiaki. "Didn't Elina say that Kala was the one teaching her to communicate via telepathy?"

"Oh, that's right!" Chiaki exclaimed, grinning. "She _did_ tell me that Kala was the one giving her telepathy lessons!"

The three of them walked over to Kala's room, and found that the Abra, as usual, was asleep on her pillow. Chiaki walked up to her, and began shaking her by the shoulders.

"Kala, wake up!" Chiaki said as she lightly shook her. "I need to ask you something!"

"We're out of purple…" Kala muttered in her sleep.

"Come on, Kala!" Chiaki said, continuing to shake her.

Kala eventually opened one of her eyes slightly, looking up at Chiaki.

"Oh, it's you guys…" Kala said, yawning. "All right, where do you want to go?"

"Actually, we haven't decided on a mission yet," Chiaki responded. "We just wanted to know if you know where Elina is."

"Elina…?" Kala replied, rubbing her eyes. "Haven't seen her today…"

"Oh…" Chiaki responded, looking down.

"Was that all you wanted?" Kala asked, lying down again on her pillow. "If so, then get out and don't disturb me again unless you need to teleport somewhere…"

"Okay, understood," Chiaki responded, nodding his head slightly. "Thanks, anyways."

"Yeah, sure, whatever…" Kala replied, turning over on her side and going back to sleep.

Blitz, Sera and Chiaki left Kala's room and returned to the main area within the rescue team HQ.

"So… Should we just try to look for Elina ourselves?" Sera suggested.

"Surely she has to be somewhere in town," Blitz said. "If the three of us split up and search, one of us will probably find her."

"Ooh, good idea, guys!" Chiaki replied, grinning. "Let's do that!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Yoru was doing his best to keep up with Volt, who kept excitedly running ahead of him on the path. Yoru wished that he could be at home taking a nap about now, but Amethyst had insisted that he get some exercise. At least Amethyst wouldn't worry about him as much if he did this, and Volt seemed to be pretty happy to be running around like this.

"Need me to slow down, Yoru?" Volt asked, glancing over at his older brother.

"Nah, just do whatever you want," Yoru responded.

Volt grinned and ran back over to Yoru, deciding to walk next to him.

"You know what I like about you?" Volt asked, grinning. "You never tell me to not do this or that, or get angry when I accidentally knock something over and things like that!"

"Uh… Thanks, I guess," Yoru replied, shrugging slightly.

"I think it's really cool how you're just so okay with everything," Volt said.

"Cool?" Yoru commented, blinking a few times. "I don't know if that's the word I'd use to describe myself, I mean… I don't really have any talents or anything I'm good at, really."

"I don't believe that," Volt responded, shaking his head. "Surely you must be good at _something_."

"Oh, I'm perfectly okay with not having any talents, really," Yoru replied.

"… Really?" Volt responded, looking skeptically at Yoru.

"Yeah, really," Yoru replied, nodding his head. "I've never really been especially good at anything, but I don't really see any reason for why I need to be."

"… And you're really okay with that?" Volt asked, leaning in closer to Yoru's face.

"I am," Yoru replied, nodding his head once more.

"… I don't believe you," Volt responded.

"Well… I suppose I'd be pleasantly surprised to find something I'm good at," Yoru finally admitted. "But I don't see the need to worry about it too much."

"Maybe I can help you find out what you're good at?" Volt asked, smiling at Yoru.

"Oh, that's really not necessary," Yoru responded, chuckling.

"And I could ask Flare to help too!" Volt said, grinning.

"Uh, I appreciate the thought, but…" Yoru replied, but Volt didn't seem to be paying attention.

"This is going to be fun!" Volt said, excitedly running in circles around Yoru. "With our help, I'm sure we'll be able to figure out what you're good at!"

"… Just what have I gotten myself into?" Yoru said, chuckling a little. "Well, I suppose he's already made up his mind, so might as well just go with it."

* * *

Sera, Blitz and Chiaki had been looking around for a while, but none of them had found any signs of Elina. Considering that Elina could sense their presence with her psychic power and teleport away if she didn't wish to be found, they eventually decided to give up on finding her for now.

"I wonder why we couldn't find her…" Blitz muttered. "Why would she not want to tell Chiaki the truth now that she can…?"

"I'm sure she has her reasons," Chiaki responded, shrugging slightly. "Don't worry too much about it."

"Weren't you the one who wanted to talk to her about your lost memories?" Sera asked, looking over at Chiaki.

"Well, the whole thing about Erebos is kind of confusing, but… I've waited this long, I can wait a little longer," Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

Noticing that the sun was starting to set, Sera realized she had to hurry home and said to her teammates that she would see them tomorrow. They didn't handle any missions today, but maybe tomorrow. Sera didn't pay much attention to her older siblings telling their parents about how their day was as they were all eating dinner together. She found herself wondering what could possibly have caused Chiaki's memory loss if Erebos was not the one responsible.

Chiaki seemed certain that he had met Erebos somewhere before losing his memories, but Blitz's observation about Erebos seemingly not recognizing Chiaki during their rescue mission… She couldn't make sense of this.

"Sera, how was your day?" Sera's mother asked, smiling as she looked over at her youngest daughter.

"Huh?" Sera replied, snapping out of her stupor. "Oh, um… I've been thinking about a lot of things today."

"Oh?" Sera's mother asked, tilting her head slightly.

Sera continued to stare off into space as she continued to think about things, her parents and siblings exchanging some concerned looks. Flare, however, just smiled.

"Isn't it nice?" Flare said, looking around at the others. "Deep in thought like that… It's a sign that Sera is growing up."

"Our little Serafina is growing up…" their mother said, blinking a few times.

"Huh, time sure flies," the father commented, tilting his head slightly. "It's been going by so fast that, I guess we hadn't really noticed…"

"Hold on, what do you mean?" Volt asked, looking somewhat confused. "I don't get all deep in thought like that… Are you saying that Sera is more grown-up than me?"

"Well, some do say that girls mature faster than boys," Sirena commented, smirking.

"No way!" Volt exclaimed, shaking his head.

"Volt, relax," Flare said, trying to calm him down. "There's no need to be in a hurry to grow up."

"Easy for you to say," Volt responded, looking over at Flare. "Ugh, you're not even that much older than me, and yet you're so mature compared to me… I don't get how this works at all!"

"Volt, really, it's not that big a deal," Flare replied, chuckling nervously.

After dinner, Sera returned to the bedroom, still deep in thought. She kept staring out of the window while thinking about everything until she fell asleep. After all of the siblings had gone to sleep, their father noticed that his wife seemed to have something on her mind.

"Summer, is something wrong?" the Leafeon asked, looking over at the Glaceon.

"… It has been a while since all eight of us did something together as a family, hasn't it?" Summer said.

"… Yeah, it has," the Leafeon responded, nodding his head.

"… Next time we have some time off from work; we should do something about that, shouldn't we?" Summer asked, smiling at her husband.

"Yes, we should," the Leafeon replied, smiling back. "For now, we should get some sleep. Good night."

"Good night," Summer responded, laying down next to her husband and quickly falling asleep.

* * *

In Silver Woods, a young Misdreavus watched as her mentor placed a few vials containing different colored potions into a basket, telekinetically moving a quill and crossing off items on a list as they were placed inside the basket.

"All right, that's everything," the Misdreavus said, giggling.

"Good," the Mismagius responded, nodding her head.

"So, should we get going now?" the Misdreavus asked.

"No," the Mismagius responded, shaking her head. "I don't think Erebos knows about me yet, but I don't want to risk getting caught in an ambush on the way to Fenix Town."

"So, how are we getting there, then?" the Misdreavus asked.

"Hand over the quill," the Mismagius responded.

The Misdreavus nodded her head, and levitated the quill over to the Mismagius, who grabbed it with one of her sleeve-like arms.

"Time to let Stella know that I've finished my preparations," the Mismagius said with a smirk as she conjured up a blank piece of paper and began writing a letter.

* * *

**End of Chapter 41**


	42. However, I just can't bring myself to tell him the truth...

* * *

Santos the Delibird was running as fast as his small feet could carry him, carrying his bag-like tail containing letters and today's newspaper behind him. The sun only just starting to rise, but Santos had already been up and running around for a while. He was on his way to Fenix Town, with an important letter for the town oracle. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath, and glanced at his tail.

"Those two ladies sure have me going back and forth between Fenix Town and Silver Woods a lot…" Santos muttered, sighing. "It's quite the distance for someone who can't teleport, but I have to do my best anyways…"

Santos smiled and nodded his head slightly.

"Yes, that's right… After all, it is my duty to deliver news and letters for everyone," Santos said, looking up at the sky. "Keeping the Pokémon informed of what is happening and delivering the letters that bring smiles to their faces… That is what a mailmon does!"

Santos smirked, and confidently struck a pose.

"It is… my _destiny_!" Santos shouted proudly, before he started moving again.

Santos kept a cocky grin on his face as he kept on running.

"No matter how far away the recipient of the letter is, I will _certainly_ get there! Obstacles in the way won't stop me; I'll just find a way past them! And if I run into any wild Pokémon that look interested in eating me for breakfast, I'll run away from them as fast as I can since I am in no way strong enough to last in a fight against them, and I won't lose a single letter in the process!"

After a few moments, Santos found himself having to stop to catch his breath once more.

"Probably… shouldn't yell so much… while running," Santos muttered, chuckling sheepishly. "Well, just a little further now! Let's keep going!"

Things were getting brighter as the sun slowly rose higher into the sky, and soon, it would be another busy morning for the Pokémon of Fenix Town.

* * *

Blitz, Sera, Chiaki, Azure and Frederick were among the rescue teams making their preparations for today's missions in the town plaza. Since they hadn't actually done any missions for the past two days, they figured it was time to get some work done. Azure still couldn't use any of her water attacks, so Frederick would be taking her place for today's missions.

"Don't worry, Frederick," Azure said, patting the young Deino on the back. "You'll do just fine."

"I'll do my best," Frederick responded, nodding his head slightly. "Although… if I'm filling in for you today, do I have to act like you…?"

"No, that's not necessary," Azure replied, chuckling a little. "Just do things your way."

"Oh, good," Frederick responded, sighing in relief. "Because I don't have that same confidence you have when it comes to fighting, exploring and stuff…"

"You just need more experience, buddy," Azure said, grinning. "Eventually, you'll be radiating so much confidence that even the meanest, biggest outlaws wouldn't dare challenge you!"

"Wow… You really think I could pull that off?" Frederick asked, blushing slightly. "In that case… I'll definitely become more confident and live up to your expectations!"

"Ooh, I like the sound of that!" Azure responded. "You and me, we'd become an unbeatable team!"

"Y-Yeah!" Frederick replied, nodding his head and trying to look more confident.

Sera walked up to Blitz, who was looking over and trying to sort the items that they currently had with them.

"So... Think we got everything we need?" Sera asked, looking at the bag containing their items.

"At least we have a good selection of items for missions in general," Blitz responded, nodding to Sera. "However, we may need to swap a few things out depending on what type of mission we take…"

"I see," Sera replied, nodding her head slightly.

"Hey, look!" Chiaki said, pointing to a familiar Gothitelle walking into the town plaza. "It's Stella!"

"May I have everyone's attention?" Stella asked.

The Pokémon of the rescue teams present in the town plaza exchanged a few curious glances, before gathering around Stella. They hoped that their town oracle had good news for them.

"I have received a letter from Samara," Stella said, smiling. "She has prepared some spells that can reverse the effects of the spells Erebos cast on some of the Pokémon living in our town."

A few of the Pokémon in the crowd could be heard cheering loudly, while others just started excitedly chatting amongst themselves.

"Yes, I'll be able to use my water attacks again!" Azure said, grinning.

"Hercules is going to be okay now…" Blitz said, sighing in relief.

Stella cleared her throat, motioning to the crowd that she wasn't finished. The other Pokémon stopped talking and listened to Stella as she continued talking.

"A rescue team needs to head to Silver Woods," Stella explained. "She believes it might be risky for her to make the journey here herself, so she wishes for a rescue team to bring her here via rescue team badge."

"I see," Mirage commented, rubbing her chin. "Unfortunately, Cordyceps is still not in much of a condition for missions, so my team can't go."

A few of the rescue teams began discussing amongst themselves whether to accept the mission or not. However, to everyone's surprise, Blitz suddenly took a step forward.

"My team will accept the mission," Blitz said, bowing in front of Stella. "Please, let us take this mission."

Stella seemed surprised at this, but just smiled and nodded her head.

"Very well," Stella responded. "I'll leave it to you."

"Thanks, Stella," Blitz replied, smiling back at her. "We will leave for Silver Woods once we've finished our preparations."

"Good," Stella responded, nodding her head. "You may run into some tough bug-type Pokémon in the mystery dungeon, but other than that, you shouldn't have much trouble getting through it at your current level."

Stella began walking back to her house, and the other rescue teams went back to what they were doing before Stella showed up. Blitz and his teammates finished up their preparations before heading to the rescue team HQ.

"You really want to help Hercules, don't you?" Chiaki asked, smiling at Blitz.

"Well… It's the least I can do for him, really," Blitz responded, glancing over at Azure. "Of course, I want to help Azure, Mirage and Cordyceps as well."

"Of course you do," Azure replied, nodding. "Still, was kind of surprising to see you take charge like that. Not that I'm complaining!"

"I'm kind of worried about those bug Pokémon that Stella mentioned," Frederick said. "I'm part dark type, so I may not be the best Pokémon for this mission…"

"You'll do fine," Azure replied, patting the Deino on the back. "Remember what we talked about earlier?"

"Uh… Confidence…?" Frederick responded, tilting his head slightly.

"Exactly," Azure replied, grinning. "Show those bug types that you're not scared of them!"

"Oh, I'm not _scared_ of bug types," Frederick responded, shaking his head. "I just don't know how well I can fight them, is all…"

"Don't worry about it," Azure replied. "If you're just confident enough, you can just march on through without a worry because the bug types would flee at the mere sight of you!"

"Huh, is that so?" Frederick responded, thinking for a few moments. "… Would that work on ghost types too?"

"Sure it would!" Azure replied, nodding. "So, get out there with Blitz and the others, and bring Samara here so that I can use my water attacks again!"

"Okay, Azure," Frederick responded, smiling. "I'll try my best to be confident for you!"

The five of them entered the room behind the purple curtain, and as usual had to wake up the sleeping Abra inside if they wanted to go anywhere.

"Kala, wake up," Blitz said, shaking her lightly.

"You can't fly either…" Kala muttered in her sleep, before opening her eyes slightly. "… Oh, it's you guys."

"Kala, please send us to Silver Woods," Blitz said, as Sera, Chiaki and Frederick gathered around him.

"Silver Woods…?" Kala muttered, before nodding her head slightly. "All right, got it…"

"Good luck, guys!" Azure said, waving good-bye as Blitz, Sera, Chiaki and Frederick were teleported out of the room in a flash of light.

* * *

At last, Blitz, Sera and Chiaki finally got to see Silver Woods for themselves, after hearing Stella's descriptions of it in the story about Cassandra. The silver-colored grass, bushes and leaves on the trees were shimmering brightly in the light that made it through the branches of the tallest trees. From the looks of things, the forest hadn't changed much from the time when Cassandra used to visit it in order to see Pandora.

"Wow… No wonder this place is called "Silver Woods"," Chiaki commented, staring in awe.

"It really does have a mystical feel to it, doesn't it?" Sera said, looking over at Blitz.

"Yeah, it does," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "I wonder what makes the plants like this."

"I'll take your word for it," Frederick said, sniffing the air. "Hmm… For some reason, I expected this place to be chillier…"

Blitz looked around, and noticed the entrance to the mystery dungeon. He walked up to it, and his teammates soon followed.

"Samara's house is just past this mystery dungeon, isn't it?" Sera asked.

"Yes, I believe it is," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "Come on, let's go!"

Blitz and his teammates entered the maze, and found themselves on the first floor. With Blitz leading the way, they began exploring the dungeon. For the first few floors, none of them really said anything. They only exchanged a few words during the occasional fight against a wild Pokémon, or when trying to decide on which direction to go next. Blitz kept his eyes on the path in front of them, focused on getting through the dungeon as soon as possible. After all, the sooner they reached the exit, the sooner they would get to Samara's house.

As they got to the seventh floor, Chiaki noticed something as he glanced up at the trees.

"Hey… Something is wrong with those leaves," Chiaki said, pointing at one of the trees.

Blitz and Sera looked up, to see the leaves on one of the lower branches of a tree seemingly flickering in and out of existence.

"So, the distortions have spread to this place too…" Blitz said, staring up at the tree.

"Distortions have been appearing in more places recently," Sera commented, looking at her teammates. "That's what it says in the newspapers, according to Amethyst."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it for now," Blitz said. "Let's keep moving."

As they kept exploring, Chiaki found himself wondering just how many areas were affected by the distortions by now. Would it soon become a serious problem? He couldn't help but worry about it. The distortions would only continue to spread and grow until all eight crystals were found and returned to Axis Tower.

 _"When the crystals are returned, will they restore the balance instantly, or does it take time for them to do that?"_ Chiaki quietly wondered.

"Are we there yet?" Frederick asked, following behind the other three Pokémon.

"No, we're not even halfway yet," Blitz responded, glancing behind him.

"Oh, okay," Frederick replied, nodding his head slightly.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Fenix Town, Elina was sitting by herself under a tree in a secluded part of the town. Her arms were resting on top of her short legs, and she looked to be rather conflicted. The little green Pokémon suddenly felt a familiar presence nearby, and turned to see a bigger, brown alien-like Pokémon hovering over to her. Elina's mood lightened as she got up and approached the older Pokémon.

 _"Father, why are you here again?"_ Elina asked via telepathy.

 _"I miss you, and I thought I'd come check to see how you were doing over here,"_ Eltanin responded, hugging his daughter. _"It seems you've learned to communicate via telepathy since the last time I was here?"_

 _"Yes,"_ Elina replied, nodding her head. _"I've been receiving lessons from one of the psychic types living in this town."_

 _"That is good to hear,"_ Eltanin responded. _"I am very proud of you, my little girl."_

 _"Thanks, father,"_ Elina replied, seeming rather pleased. _"I can converse with another Pokémon this way, but I need to keep improving so that I may communicate with multiple Pokémon at once."_

 _"I know you can do it,"_ Eltanin responded, nodding his head. _"Now that you've gotten this far, you shouldn't have much difficulty with that."_

 _"I see,"_ Elina replied, looking away.

 _"Elina, you seem troubled,"_ Eltanin said, tilting his head slightly. _"Is something bothering you?"_

 _"Chiaki…"_ Elina thought, still looking away from her father.

 _"Ah, right,"_ Eltanin responded, putting a hand on Elina's shoulder. _"That young Mienfoo… he still doesn't know the truth, does he?"_

 _"Now that I can communicate via telepathy, I am capable of answering his questions regarding his true identity,"_ Elina explained. _"However, I just can't bring myself to tell him the truth…"_

 _"Well, it might be best to keep the truth from him just a little longer,"_ Eltanin responded, crossing his arms. _"If nothing else, it'll keep him safe for now."_

 _"I suppose…"_ Elina replied, staring down at the ground.

 _"So, from what I have heard, four of the crystals have been found so far, correct?"_ Eltanin asked.

 _"That is correct,"_ Elina responded, nodding her head slightly.

 _"Good to hear,"_ Eltanin replied, seeming pleased with this news. _"That means you will be returning home soon, won't you?"_

 _"Well… I suppose when all crystals are gathered, then yes…"_ Elina responded, looking up at her father. _"But… I just don't know if I'll be strong enough… when the time comes…"_

 _"You've known all along that that day will have to come,"_ Eltanin replied, hugging his daughter tightly. _"There's not much more you can do about it, other than what needs to be done."_

 _"I know…"_ Elina responded, hugging back. _"I… I just… I want to stay friends with Chiaki, for just a little longer…!"_

* * *

Blitz and his teammates continued making their way through the mystery dungeon, fighting off wild Pokémon and collecting items on the ground as they went along. At the fifteenth floor, they decided to take a short break before continuing on. While Frederick was happily eating some apples, Blitz decided to look over their supplies to make sure they still had a good amount of items to help them get through the rest of the mystery dungeon. Chiaki was sitting underneath one of the trees, quietly wondering what Samara was like.

So far, he knew that she was Stella's pen pal and good with magic. Oh, and that she was really old. Probably much older than most Pokémon he had met.

 _"Hmm… I wonder how old I am…"_ Chiaki thought to himself.

Blitz closed the lid on the treasure bag and looked over at his teammates.

"All right, everyone ready to move on?" Blitz asked.

His teammates nodded their heads in agreement and so they began exploring once more. As they made their way through the next few floors, Sera couldn't help but wonder just how Blitz was feeling right now. Even though he had difficulty accepting his natural leadership skills, he didn't seem to be in a bad mood at all. Then again, it was probably because he was focused on getting Samara over to Fenix Town as soon as possible so she could help Hercules, Azure, Mirage and Cordyceps. That was his main priority at the moment.

 _"He was like this when we went to rescue Bow as well,"_ Sera thought to herself. _"He's able to take the lead without hesitation because a friend needs his help."_

Sera couldn't help but watch Blitz with admiration as he confidently led the group through the floors of the mystery dungeon. However, even if he had pushed those worries aside for now, they were still there, weren't they?

 _"I wonder if there's anything I can do for him that would make him worry less,"_ Sera thought to herself. _"I… want to tell him that… instead of going back to Lightning Plateau and becoming the leader of the Luxray pride, he should stay in Fenix Town with me and the others!"_

Sera smiled for a moment, before sighing and shaking her head.

 _"Nah, it's not that simple…"_ Sera thought, her ears drooping down slightly. _"He'd just look at me weird…"_

Sera glanced at Chiaki and Frederick who were following behind her, wondering whether to ask either of them about it. However, she decided against it, figuring that they wouldn't know what to do either. Maybe she could ask one of her older siblings for advice? Or maybe she could ask Stella? Or perhaps this was something she had to figure out on her own?

"Are we there yet?" Frederick asked.

"There's not much longer to go," Blitz responded, glancing back at his teammates. "Just a few more floors…"

The four of them kept making their way through the remaining floors; however, it seemed that a particularly strong wild Pokémon intended to keep them from reaching the final set of stairs. A big, purple moth-like Pokémon flitted about the room with the stairs, whipping up gusts of wind blowing powdery silver-colored scales at the rescue team as they tried getting close enough to fight back.

"Ugh… Its Silver Wind attack is making it stronger…" Blitz muttered, glancing around at his teammates. "We have to take it down quickly…"

"Do we have any items?" Chiaki asked, using Detect to try to avoid the attacks. "Like, a Sleep Seed or X-Eye Seed to make it stop attacking?"

"… Yes, there's a Sleep Seed in here," Blitz said, looking through the items. "However, I can't hit the Venomoth from this angle…"

"Leave it to me!" Chiaki responded, running over and pulling the seed out from the bag.

"Hurry up…" Frederick groaned. "I'm no good against bug-types, you know… I can't take too many more attacks like these…"

"Let's put a stop to the attacks for a bit, then!" Chiaki said, flinging the seed at the Venomoth.

However, the Venomoth was completely unaffected by it.

"No way…" Blitz said, his eyes widening slightly. "Don't tell me… It has the Nonsleeper IQ skill?"

"Uh… What's that again?" Chiaki asked, quickly ducking out of the way as the Venomoth swiftly came swooping down and tried to tackle him.

"Do we have any other way of stopping its attacks?" Sera asked, looking over at Blitz while using her Helping Hand move to lend her teammates more attack power.

As Blitz searched through the bag for another item that could hopefully stop the Venomoth in its tracks, Frederick quietly listened as Chiaki and Sera kept the Venomoth distracted.

"Just be confident…" Frederick muttered to himself.

Frederick took a deep breath, before firing a purple fireball from his mouth. Luckily for Frederick, the Venomoth happened to be in just the right position to take a direct hit from the Dragon Breath attack. The Venomoth twitched slightly as it fell to the ground, trying to get back into the air.

"Ah, nicely done, Frederick!" Blitz exclaimed, grinning. "All right, let's take it down before it can attack again!"

With the combined power of the four, the Venomoth soon went down. Together, the four of them exited the mystery dungeon.

"We made it," Blitz said, sighing in relief.

"Samara's house should be around here somewhere, right?" Chiaki asked, looking around.

From behind a tree, Malefica giggled softly as she glanced down at the four Pokémon. The Misdreavus then quietly floated down towards the other Pokémon, trying her best not to laugh as she moved closer to Frederick. Once she had gotten close up to the young dragon, she took a deep breath, and…

"Hey, who's that?" Chiaki asked, having just turned around and noticed the Misdreavus.

"Aw, you ruined it!" Malefica said, pouting.

"Ah, who was that!?" Frederick exclaimed, turning around. "Whose voice was that!?"

"Oh, look at that!" Malefica said, smiling triumphantly. "I did scare him after all! Yay!"

"Um… Are you perhaps Samara's apprentice?" Blitz asked, tilting his head slightly as he looked up at the Misdreavus.

"That's right!" Malefica responded, giggling merrily. "I'm Malefica!"

"Ah, I see," Blitz replied, nodding his head. "We're here to see Samara. Can you take us to her?"

"Ooh, yes! No problem!" Malefica responded, hovering past the others. "Follow me!"

It only took a few moments before they finally spotted Samara's house. As they followed Malefica inside, a Mismagius came to greet them.

"You must be the rescue team they sent," Samara said, smiling warmly at her guests. "I am Samara. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Blitz responded, bowing politely. "I'm Blitz, and these are my teammates, Sera, Chiaki and Frederick."

Samara just smiled and nodded her head, before picking up a basket full of various potions and scrolls.

"Let's not waste any time," Samara said, hovering over to the rescue team. "I have everything I need here. Take me to Fenix Town."

"I'm coming along too!" Malefica exclaimed, giggling as she hovered above the heads of the rescue team members. "A town full of Pokémon to play tricks on… Malefica likes the sound of that!"

"Malefica…" Samara said, giving the younger ghost-type Pokémon a stern look. "We already talked about this, remember?"

"Nope!" Malefica responded, sticking her tongue out.

"Malefica!" Samara repeated, raising her voice a little this time.

"Oh, um… I had to promise that I'd behave myself, or something?" Malefica responded, smiling sheepishly.

"That's right," Samara replied, sighing. "If you can't do that, I'm not bringing you along."

"Well, if you don't bring me along, then I'd be here by myself, wouldn't I?" Malefica said, snickering. "I bet I could make this place _really_ messy by the time you get back!"

"… Just promise you'll behave," Samara responded with an exasperated expression.

"All right, I promise!" Malefica replied, smiling.

 _"… I should probably ask Stella to help keep an eye on her, just in case,"_ Samara thought to herself, before turning back to the rescue team. "Sorry about that. We're ready to go when you are."

Blitz smiled and nodded his head, before holding up the rescue team badge. In a flash of golden light, the six of them were teleported out of the house. Upon appearing in Fenix Town, they were greeted by Stella and Bow.

"Samara, it's been a while," Stella said, smiling at the Mismagius.

"Yes, indeed," Samara responded, nodding and smiling back. "It's nice to see you again, Stella."

"Hi, miss Samara!" Bow said, waving her hand.

"Oh, you're Bow, aren't you?" Samara responded, curiously looking over at the young Gothorita. "Last time I saw you, you were just a hatchling! My, you sure have grown!"

"Yeah, I guess I have!" Bow replied, smiling sweetly.

"And I assume that this is Malefica?" Stella said, pointing to the Misdreavus.

"That's me!" Malefica responded, grinning. "Ooh, what has Samara told you about me in her letters? Tell me!"

"… Maybe later," Stella replied, chuckling a little before looking over at Blitz and his teammates. "Blitz, everyone… Thanks for bringing Samara here."

"No need to thank us," Blitz responded, smiling and rubbing his forelegs together. "It's just part of a rescue team's job, after all."

"And now Samara can undo Erebos' spells, can't she?" Chiaki asked, looking up at Samara.

"Indeed," Samara responded, nodding her head. "I will also be putting a protective spell on the town to ensure that Erebos can't come too close to it."

"Ooh, a protective spell?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yes," Samara responded, smiling. "But first, I believe there are some Pokémon that require my help."

* * *

Blitz, Sera, Chiaki and Giselle watched as the faint purple glow around Hercules faded away, as Samara finished removing the curse that Erebos had cast on him. The Heracross soon opened his eyes, and glanced around at his surroundings. He blinked a few times in confusion as he realized where he was, and as he noticed the unfamiliar Mismagius.

"What… happened?" Hercules asked, looking around. "When did we get back here?"

"It worked!" Blitz said, happily jumping onto the bed and hugging Hercules.

"Yes, indeed," Samara responded, nodding her head. "It seems the curse has been successfully removed."

"Curse…?" Hercules inquired, petting Blitz. "I guess I'm missing something here."

"I'm sure your apprentice can fill you in on the details," Samara said, before looking over at Sera and Chiaki. "Where are the remaining two Pokémon requiring my assistance?"

"Ah, right," Sera responded, looking over at Chiaki. "Come on, let's go look for Mirage's team."

"Okay!" Chiaki replied, smiling and nodding his head.

Azure and Frederick had been waiting just outside Giselle's office, the former being thrilled to be able to use her water attacks again and apparently having decided to celebrate by using her Bubble Beam attack to let a stream of bubbles float around the lobby of the rescue team HQ. As Chiaki, Sera and Samara exited Giselle's office, Azure decided to stop for a moment in order to catch her breath.

"Hey guys," Azure said, panting. "How'd it go?"

"He's awake!" Chiaki responded, smiling.

"Great," Azure replied, grinning. "And I've got my water attacks back, so I'm feeling pretty good!"

"I'm glad you're back to normal, Azure," Frederick commented, smiling.

"It's all thanks to you guys and Samara," Azure responded, winking. "I kind of feel I should repay you somehow!"

"That's not necessary," Samara replied, shaking her head. "I don't need any reward."

"You sure?" Azure asked. "I could probably get you some free berry juice at the café, or something."

"No thanks," Samara responded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more work to do."

Sera, Chiaki and Samara left to look for Mirage and her teammates. Azure just shrugged and turned to Frederick.

"What about you, Frederick?" Azure said, grinning. "Wanna head over to the café with me?"

"Do I get free desserts…?" Frederick asked, with a hopeful smile.

"Sure, anything you want!" Azure responded, nodding. "I'm sure mom is okay with that, anyways!"

"Ah… Being confident really does pay off," Frederick said, grinning.

"It certainly does!" Azure replied, chuckling. "Come on, let's go!"

* * *

Elina was still sitting in the same place. Her father had been reluctant to return home so soon, but Elina insisted that she was okay on her own. She still felt conflicted, but at least she didn't have to tell Chiaki the truth just yet. She wasn't sure what she would say to him the next time the two of them met, though.

_"Chiaki… is my friend..."_ _Elina thought to herself, staring off into space. "But… I can't keep thinking of him that way, can I…?"_

* * *

**End of Chapter 42**


	43. As I was casting my spell, I felt as if something was off...

* * *

The stars were shining brightly in the night sky. Together with the glow from the crystals placed in the makeshift lampposts, they provided light for the few Pokémon that were still up and about around Fenix Town at this time. Samara was floating to each of the glowing crystals, casting a spell on each of them while Stella and Bow watched. This was part of a protective charm she was putting on the town, in order to repel Erebos if he were to come close.

"Everyone in town can feel a bit safer once she finishes casting this spell," Stella commented, smiling as she observed her friend.

"I know I will!" Bow responded, giggling a little. "This town will be a no-Erebos zone!"

"Indeed," Stella replied, patting her daughter on the head.

As Samara continued working on the protective spell, Bow suddenly realized that Samara's apprentice, Malefica, was nowhere to be seen. Failing to see her anywhere around the shops that were closed for the night, she turned her gaze to the sky, hoping that the stars would show her the mischievous Misdreavus' current whereabouts. An image of a familiar wooden building briefly appeared in a vision.

 _"The rescue team HQ…?"_ Bow thought, blinking a few times. _"Is that where she went?"_

Bow decided to make her way over to the HQ, just to make sure that Malefica wasn't causing any mischief. However, when she got there, she noticed that the entrance was closed off.

"Oh, right…" Bow said, tilting her head slightly. "This place is closed for the night too… Malefica can probably phase right through the walls, though, so she may have been able to get inside…"

Not sure if there was any other way of getting inside, Bow decided to try something else. She closed her eyes, and the white bow-shaped feelers on her body began to glow as she tried to reach Malefica with her power.

 _"Malefica…? Can you hear me?"_ Bow tried to call out via telepathy. _"You're not supposed to be in there!"_

However, Bow's thoughts didn't seem to be reaching the Misdreavus, who was currently in Kala's office, curiously watching the sleeping Abra who was still in said office.

"Why are you giving me oranges…?" Kala muttered in her sleep.

"You should _throw them at someone_!" Malefica whispered into Kala's ear, giggling a little.

Kala made a grunting noise in her sleep, before slowly opening her eyes and glancing up at Malefica.

"… Do you have any idea what time it is?" Kala asked.

"Nope!" Malefica responded, grinning. "Do you?"

"Not really…" Kala replied, yawning. "However, I can tell that it's dark, which means that it is currently night. I can also tell that none of the rescue teams are around at the moment, meaning that no one should be around to disturb my sleep right now."

"Well, I'm here!" Malefica said, giggling. "Is that a problem?"

"Yes, yes it is," Kala responded, her half-open eyes beginning to glow green. "Get out."

* * *

Bow was still outside, unsure of how to get to Malefica. Suddenly, the young Misdreavus was sent flying through one of the walls, screaming as she was thrown a good distance away from the building before landing on the ground. Bow blinked a few times in confusion, before running over to where the Misdreavus landed. Malefica seemed unharmed, albeit a bit dazed from being sent flying that far.

"Whoa… That Abra is stronger than she looks," Malefica said, blinking a few times.

"Yeah, Kala is actually pretty tough," Bow responded, nodding her head slightly. "I've never actually seen her fight, but I think she's strong enough that she could probably evolve anytime she feels like it."

"Then why hasn't she evolved yet?" Malefica asked, tilting her body to the side slightly.

"I guess she just doesn't want to," Bow responded, shrugging slightly.

"Why not?" Malefica asked, hovering closer to Bow.

"Um… I'm not sure," Bow responded, holding a hand to her chin as she tried to remember if she had ever heard anything regarding _why_ Kala didn't want to evolve.

"Evolving makes you more powerful," Malefica said, hovering in circles around Bow. "Who wouldn't want to be more powerful?"

"Well, all Pokémon grow and get stronger at different rates," Bow responded. "I guess some take longer to decide whether to evolve or not, once they meet the requirements and all that."

"I want to evolve as soon as I get a Dusk Stone!" Malefica said, grinning. "Then I'll be stronger and can have even more fun with my magic tricks!"

"Is that the only reason why you want to evolve?" Bow asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Why would I need any other reasons?" Malefica responded.

"Evolving changes your appearance too, you know," Bow replied. "And my mother says that some Pokémon may have certain parts of their personality change when they evolve!"

"Oh, is that so?" Malefica asked, floating upside-down next to Bow.

"Apparently," Bow responded, nodding her head slightly. "Plus, some Pokémon, particularly ones that evolve via certain items like you do, might be unable to learn certain moves if they evolve too soon!"

"If you say so," Malefica replied, sighing. "I guess even if I had a Dusk Stone, Samara wouldn't let me use it…"

"You've been learning a lot from Samara, haven't you?" Bow asked.

"I suppose," Malefica responded. "She's taught me some pretty neat stuff, but I also have to learn all this boring stuff as well…"

"Even if you don't find everything that interesting, it might be important to know for your future," Bow replied, holding a hand to her chin. "At least, I'd assume so…"

"What about you?" Malefica asked. "Don't you have to sit through a bunch of boring stuff in order to learn about the whole town oracle thing?"

"I don't really find it boring, to be honest!" Bow responded, smiling.

"Huh, really?" Malefica replied, blinking a few times. "There has to be _something_ you find boring, but still have to sit through?"

"Not really," Bow responded, shaking her head. "I find it all really fascinating! I just wish I could remember some of the details better…"

"… You're kind of strange," Malefica replied, flying ahead of Bow.

"Oh, wait up!" Bow called out, running after the Misdreavus.

Once Samara had finished her protective spell, the night went by as it usually did and the Pokémon of Fenix Town could rest with no major concerns.

* * *

Another new day began, and everyone in the town plaza seemed to be in good spirits. Blitz and Chiaki spotted Mirage and her rescue team in front of the item shop, discussing which items to buy. Mirage seemed unsure if she wanted to spend any more money right away, but according to Cordyceps, the mushroom was insisting they buy more Heal Seeds while they were there. Chiaki was glad to see Cordyceps back to normal. Thanks to Samara's magic, there were now a few things less to worry about.

The curses Erebos had cast had been undone, and there was now a spell on the town that would keep Erebos away. Chiaki still wondered if Samara could help him as well, and hoped to get a chance to talk to her while she was still in town.

"Blitz! Chiaki!" Sera called out, running over to her two teammates. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Sera," Blitz responded, smiling at her as she joined him and Chiaki.

"Hi Sera!" Chiaki said, waving at her. "Nice day, isn't it?"

"Sure is!" Sera responded, nodding her head. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"We don't know yet," Blitz replied. "However, I wanted to stop by the dojo before we head to the rescue team HQ."

"And I'd kind of like to talk to Samara," Chiaki said, smiling.

"To see if she can help you get your memories back, right?" Sera asked, smiling back at Chiaki.

"Uh-huh!" Chiaki responded, nodding his head. "Regardless of whether Erebos was the one who erased my memories or not, I think she might be able to help!"

"All right, sounds like we have a few stops to make before we head to the HQ," Blitz said.

"Shouldn't take too long to do those things, right?" Azure called out, running up to her teammates with Frederick following closely behind.

"Oh, good morning, Azure," Blitz said. "I guess you heard what we were talking about?"

"Of course I did!" Azure responded, grinning. "First the dojo, then Stella's house and then we head for the HQ?"

"Yes, I think that's all," Blitz replied, nodding his head.

"Well, let's get going then, shall we?" Azure responded, winking.

It was only a short walk to the dojo. Inside, Hercules and the other Pokémon working at the dojo were helping Pokémon from various rescue teams train like they usually did.

"Oh, hey there, Blitz!" Hercules said, smiling as he noticed the young Shinx and his teammates.

"Hello," Blitz responded, smiling back at his mentor. "I see you're already back to work."

"Yeah, I'm okay now," Hercules replied, nodding his head. "I figured I might as well get back to work right away."

"I see," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "I'm glad you're okay now."

"Sorry for worrying you," Hercules replied, petting Blitz's head.

"Oh, you don't have to apologize or anything," Blitz responded. "You got cursed because you were trying to protect Stella, after all."

"Ah, right," Hercules replied.

"So, looks like everything is fine here," Blitz commented, looking around at some of the other Pokémon working at the dojo.

"Yes," Hercules responded, grinning. "The others have been doing a pretty good job during my absence."

"Of course they have!" Chiaki commented, nodding his head. "Everyone is always doing their best, aren't they?"

"I suppose," Hercules responded, chuckling a little.

"Are we done here now?" Azure asked, gently prodding Blitz with one her paws. "I'm just itching to go on an adventure, you know!"

"Oh? Where?" Frederick asked, turning his head in Azure's direction. "Is it a spot you can't reach?"

"Not _that_ kind of itch, Frederick!" Azure responded, giggling and affectionately patting the young dragon's head. "It's just a figure of speech!"

"Oh," Frederick replied. "You don't need any help reaching it, then?"

"Azure is right; we should probably get going now," Blitz said, nodding his head slightly.

"Good luck on today's missions!" Hercules said, smiling at the group.

"Thanks," Blitz responded, smiling back at his mentor. "I'll be back for more training soon."

"Stop by anytime you and your teammates want!" Hercules replied, waving good-bye as Blitz and his teammates left the dojo.

The next stop was Stella's house, where Samara and her apprentice were currently staying. After another short walk, the five of them found themselves in front of Stella and Bow's house. Blitz cautiously approached the front door and looked inside.

"Um… Hello?" Blitz said, calling out to get the attention of the occupants of the house.

"Oh, hi there, Blitz!" Bow responded, running up to the door.

"Hey there, Bow," Blitz replied. "Can we come in? Chiaki has something he needs to speak to Samara about."

"Oh, of course you can!" Bow responded, smiling. "The town oracle's house is always open for whoever needs our guidance!"

"Thank you," Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly.

"Samara is upstairs, talking to mom about stuff," Bow explained. "Wait here; I'll go get them for you!"

Blitz, Sera, Chiaki, Azure and Frederick entered the house while Bow quickly headed up to the second floor to get her mother and Samara. Malefica was also in the room upstairs, resting in a corner. The other three Pokémon decided not to wake her up, and made their way downstairs to greet their guests.

"I had a feeling you would be coming here today," Stella said, smiling at the group. "Again, thank you all for accepting my mission yesterday and bringing Samara and Malefica here."

"Oh, but we're the ones who should be thanking you!" Blitz responded, looking up at Stella and Samara. "You two are doing your best to put an end to this crisis by helping locate the missing crystals and finding a way to stop Erebos."

"Yeah, we're sort of just doing what we can to help," Sera added, giggling a little.

"Every little bit counts," Samara said, nodding her head slightly. "It is thanks to our combined efforts that we've gotten this far, haven't we?"

"You mean because we're the ones who have retrieved four of the crystals so far?" Azure asked, grinning. "Yeah, I suppose we _do_ deserve a bit of the credit there!"

"Anyways, as for why you are here…" Samara said, hovering over to Chiaki. "Stella has told me about you."

"Do you think you can help me get my memories back?" Chiaki asked, looking up at the Mismagius.

"Stella told me that she didn't sense any signs of mind manipulation when she examined you before," Samara responded, shaking her head. "I don't know if my magic can help you, but I can give it a try, if you want me to."

"Yes, please!" Chiaki replied, nodding his head. "I'm sure you can do it with your amazing magic!"

"All right then," Samara responded, touching Chiaki's forehead with one of her sleeve-like hands. "Close your eyes and I'll try a simple spell to see if we can jog your memory."

Chiaki nodded his head slightly, and closed his eyes as told. Samara then closed her eyes as well, and began chanting a spell…

* * *

After a few moments, Chiaki could no longer hear Samara's voice. He waited, but couldn't tell if anything was happening. Everything was completely silent. Chiaki wasn't sure if his eyes were still closed or not. Everything was dark. He tried to move, but for some reason his body felt stiff. He couldn't move at all. With nothing else he could do, he decided to just wait for something to happen.

 _"Samara's spell will probably start taking effect soon,"_ Chiaki thought to himself. _"I'll just wait… It's not so bad… I can wait… I don't mind waiting…"_

For what felt like an eternity, nothing seemed to be happening at all. Chiaki didn't mind, however. He just kept waiting, and waiting…

 _"This is fine… Yes, I can just stay like this…"_ Chiaki thought to himself. _"I'll just… I… I…"_

Suddenly, Chiaki's thoughts were disturbed by the sound of thunder and pouring rain. He opened his eyes to find himself lying in the middle of a forest, his fur wet from the rain that continued to pour down from the cloudy skies above.

 _"This is… the mystery dungeon in Meridian Forest!"_ Chiaki thought, looking around at his surroundings. _"Blitz and Sera… this is where I first met them… my friends…"_

Chiaki was able to move again without difficulty, and sat up. He then stared down at his own paws, briefly baring his claws before retracting them again. He continued to stare down at his paws, seemingly unaware of everything else happening around him.

 _"This is me… who I am now…"_ Chiaki thought, sighing and closing his eyes. _"But… I still don't know who I was before… the real me…"_

Chiaki opened his eyes, staring up at the sky.

 _"… The real… me?"_ Chiaki thought, blinking a few times. _"Who I was before… who I am now… which one is the real me?"_

Chiaki put his paws over his ears, attempting to block out the sound of the rain. The forest around him was starting to fade away into darkness as he closed his eyes once more…

* * *

When Chiaki opened his eyes again, he found himself back in Stella's house. Samara was still hovering in front of him, quietly watching him. Chiaki glanced around to see his friends giving him concerned looks. Had Samara's spell failed? Chiaki had hoped that Samara's magic could help him remember at least a few more things about himself, but no new memories had resurfaced.

"… Well?" Samara asked, curiously looking over Chiaki.

"… I don't think it worked," Chiaki responded, shaking his head.

"… I see," Samara replied, sighing. "I'm sorry I couldn't help."

"But why didn't it work?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly. "You were able to help everyone else with your magic, so why didn't it work this time?"

"I do not know," Samara responded, shaking her head. "The spell I just used is a simple spell for remembering dreams or small details, for example where you left a certain small item you just can't find as you are preparing to head out. It should also be sufficient to help remember any information that may have been blocked off by small amounts of mind manipulation, should such a thing have happened."

"Then… Maybe you should try a different spell?" Chiaki asked. "A stronger spell might work!"

"I don't think that would be wise," Samara responded, shaking her head.

"Why not?" Chiaki replied, looking rather confused.

"I'm not sure why, but… I get a strange feeling from you," Samara responded, staring down at the Mienfoo. "As I was casting my spell, I felt as if something was off…"

"What do you mean?" Stella asked, looking over at her friend. "I haven't felt anything unusual from Chiaki…"

"Are you sure about that?" Samara responded, meeting Stella's gaze.

Stella blinked a few times, holding a hand to her chin as she tried to remember if she had ever noticed anything unusual at all about Chiaki. As she thought back to when she first met the young Mienfoo and looked inside his mind, she realized that there was indeed something strange about what she saw back then.

"Chiaki… didn't have any memories from before Blitz and Sera found him," Stella said, looking over at Samara. "I couldn't find _anything_."

"I see," Samara responded, holding one of her sleeve-like hands to her chin. "That is indeed unusual… You should've been able to find at least traces of his memories, regardless of _what_ may have caused his amnesia."

"Well, he's gotten _some_ memories back," Azure commented, looking over at Chiaki and the other team members. "Isn't that right?"

"Ah, right," Sera added, smiling. "We were able to learn Elina's name because Chiaki remembered her!"

"… Who is this "Elina"?" Samara asked, tilting her head slightly.

"A friend of mine," Chiaki responded, smiling at Samara. "We were friends before I lost my memories too!"

"Ah… Is that so?" Samara replied.

"Yes!" Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

"I see…" Samara replied, looking away. "If that's the case, then…"

"Ooh, what's going on down here?" a high-pitched voice asked, and the others looked up to see that Malefica had woken up and was now floating down to join them. "What have I missed? Why are there so many Pokémon in here?"

"Good morning, Malefica!" Bow said, waving at the Misdreavus.

"Yeah, good morning, or whatever," Malefica responded, glancing over at Bow for a moment before turning back to the others. "Oh, you're the ones from yesterday!"

"We were trying to see if Samara could help Chiaki get his memories back," Sera explained, looking up at the Misdreavus.

"Ooh, really?" Malefica responded, giggling merrily. "Did it work? If not, can I try?"

"No and no," Samara replied, shaking her head. "I haven't even _taught_ you any such spells yet!"

"Teach me now!" Malefica responded, playfully hovering around in the air. "And _then_ I'll help the Mienfoo with his memories!"

"Malefica… is kind of scary…" Frederick muttered, trying to hide behind Azure.

"Well? Are you going to let me try?" Malefica asked, grinning.

"… The answer is still no," Samara responded, sighing.

"Okay, fine," Malefica replied, rolling her eyes. "I'll go find something else to do, then!"

Malefica started floating away, only for Stella to grab hold of her with telekinesis to prevent her from leaving the house.

"What? Hey!" Malefica shouted, trying to free herself from the psychic hold.

"Thank you, Stella," Samara said, before turning back to Chiaki and the others. "Anyways… I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

"It's okay," Chiaki responded, smiling at Samara. "At least you tried!"

"You're… not upset?" Samara asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Nah, I'm fine," Chiaki replied, still smiling. "I'm sure I'll get my memories back eventually!"

"If you… say so…" Samara responded, looking away with a concerned expression.

"Well, I guess that means we're done here!" Azure said, grinning. "Let's head to the rescue team HQ!"

"All right, let's get going," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

"Good luck with today's missions!" Bow said, smiling at Blitz and the others.

"Thanks, Bow," Blitz responded, smiling back at the Gothorita. "Bye for now."

After Blitz and his friends had left, Samara began to gather up her things and turned her attention back to Stella.

"Well… I suppose I've done everything I could here for now," Samara said.

"Eh? We're heading home already?" Malefica asked, looking over at Samara.

"I need to get back to working on the spell to seal Erebos away once more," Samara responded, looking up at her apprentice.

"She's right, you know," Stella added, finally letting go of Malefica. "I wish you two could stay a little longer, but this isn't the time to relax. We need to do everything we can to make sure Erebos is stopped as soon as possible."

"Aw, okay, I guess…" Malefica responded, pouting.

"Don't be upset, Malefica," Bow said, smiling at the Misdreavus. "You two can come and visit again sometime after this is all over, right?"

"Ah, right!" Malefica replied, glancing over at Samara. "We can do that, right?"

"Of course," Samara responded, smiling and nodding her head slightly. "It will be something we can all look forward to."

"Yay!" Malefica replied, happily floating around in circles. "We'll have lots of fun in Fenix Town!"

"As long as you don't get into trouble," Samara said, smirking.

"Yeah, whatever," Malefica responded, hovering over to Bow. "So, see you later, I guess?"

"I guess so," Bow replied, nodding her head. "Let's play together again next time!"

"Okay!" Malefica responded, grinning.

"Keep me updated on the situation with the crystals," Samara said, looking over at Stella.

"Of course," Stella responded, nodding her head. "And you'll let me know how the sealing spell is coming along."

"Indeed," Samara replied, nodding her head. "I hope to finish it soon, but I still can't get it right. However, when I was helping remove Erebos' curses, I managed to get a better look at the dark aura when the spells were still active."

"Ah, right," Stella responded. "All you had to go on before was the plant sample I sent for you to analyze a while back."

"Yes," Samara replied, nodding her head again. "The ancient magic in that sample was enough to confirm that Erebos was indeed the one responsible for these strange events, but I hope I can use the new information I gathered here to complete the spell."

"I know you can do it, Samara," Stella responded, smiling at her.

"I have a question!" Bow said, raising her hand.

"What is it?" Samara responded, looking over at the young Gothorita.

"Once you seal Erebos up again, what will you do with him after that?" Bow asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Ah, you don't need to be concerned about that," Samara responded. "I will not leave anything up to chance. I will make sure that Erebos can _never_ return to cause more chaos again."

"… Okay," Bow replied, nodding her head slightly.

Samara gathered up the rest of her things, and began floating towards the door.

"Well, I suppose I'll ask Kala to send me and Malefica back to Silver Woods now," Samara said, smiling at Stella. "Bye for now, Stella."

"Bye for now," Stella responded, nodding her head slightly.

"Bye-bye!" Malefica said, cheerfully hovering around in circles around Samara as they headed out the door.

"Good luck finishing the spell!" Bow said, waving good-bye at the two ghost-type Pokémon.

And so, the two ghost-types began making their way towards the rescue team HQ. Bow quietly hoped that Malefica wouldn't get into trouble with Kala again, but figured that Kala would just send them home as fast as possible so she could resume her nap like she usually did. That's just how Kala was, after all.

* * *

The rest of that day was pretty much just a regular day in Fenix Town. The rescue teams returned from their missions and received their rewards, some of them stopping by the café before heading home. As other Pokémon were going to sleep, Stella and Bow were watching the stars. While Stella was trying to seek answers from the stars regarding Chiaki and the location of the remaining crystals, Bow was thinking about how Samara said she would make absolutely sure that Erebos would never return once she had sealed him away. Just what did that entail?

She didn't like how it sounded, but surely it wasn't anything bad, right?

"I see it…" Stella muttered, staring intently at the stars.

"Oh?" Bow said, looking over at Stella. "See what? Is it a crystal?"

"Yes… A crystal hidden in a mystery dungeon…" Stella responded, holding a hand to her chin with a concerned look on her face. "However… if this mystery dungeon is the one I think it is…"

"… Is it a difficult one?" Bow asked, tilting her head slightly. "Even so, I'm sure one of the high-ranked rescue teams can handle it!"

"I hope so," Stella responded. "However, this particular mystery dungeon requires more than just strength…"

Bow focused as Stella explained just which mystery dungeon she had seen in her vision, and what made it so infamous among rescue teams…

* * *

**End of Chapter 43**


	44. Frederick, the ghosts aren't going to eat you!

* * *

Another new day had begun, and Sera was having breakfast together with her older siblings as usual. She wasn't paying too much attention to the small talk between her older brothers and sisters as she ate, her thoughts being elsewhere. Flare glanced over at his younger sister, familiar with her usual expressions and her body language. Once they were all done eating, the young Flareon decided to approach her and find out just what was on her mind.

"Is something bothering you?" Flare asked.

"Oh, I'm just wondering what to do…" Sera responded, looking away.

"Do about what?" Flare inquired, tilting his head slightly.

"Well, Blitz has been leading our rescue team for a while now," Sera responded. "He said it'd only be for a little while, until I was feeling better."

"I see," Flare replied, nodding his head slightly. "And how are you feeling now?"

"I'm fine, I guess…" Sera responded, looking down at her paws. "However, Blitz hasn't asked me to take back the position of leader yet."

"Have you thought about asking him about it?" Flare asked.

"I was thinking about whether I should do so, but… I'm actually okay with not being the leader," Sera responded, looking up at Flare. "Blitz is a better leader than me, anyways, but…"

"Ah, I see," Flare replied. "The issue is that you don't know how _he_ really feels about this whole thing."

"I know he didn't like the idea of being a leader because of the issues with the Luxray pride and all that…" Sera said, her ears drooping down just a little bit. "But… he hasn't really complained all that much. It might just be because of everything that's happened recently, with Bow and Hercules and all that…"

"And you're not sure how to bring the subject up with him; because you're worried you might upset him?" Flare asked.

"… Wow, you know me _really_ well," Sera commented, blinking a few times. "So, um… What do you think I should do?"

"I think that's something you need to figure out on your own," Flare responded, patting Sera on the head with his paw.

"I guess you're right…" Sera replied, sighing. "I know I have to talk to him about all of this eventually, even if I'm not sure what to say…"

"Don't worry too much about the details," Flare said, smiling at Sera. "Just tell him how you really feel!"

"… Right," Sera responded, nodding her head slightly. "Well, I'm heading out now."

"Good luck!" Flare said, still smiling.

"Thanks," Sera responded, smiling back. "See you later!"

* * *

As Sera made her way into the town plaza to meet up with her friends, she noticed that a few of the rescue teams standing around and talking amongst themselves. She wondered what was going on, since they had such serious expressions. She soon spotted Blitz and the others standing in the center of the town plaza, glancing around at the other rescue teams with expressions that suggested that they were just as curious as she was as to what was going on with them.

"Good morning, guys," Sera said, walking up to the others. "Anything happen?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Azure responded, her ears twitching as she tried to listen to the various conversations around them. "It'd be a bit easier if there weren't more than one conversation to listen to, though."

"But they're all talking about the same thing?" Chiaki asked, looking over at Azure.

"Seems that way," Azure replied, nodding slightly. "From some of the words I keep picking up from each of these groups, it sounds like another crystal has been located, but none of them want to head into the mystery dungeon where it is in order to retrieve it."

"Whoa, is that what's going on?" Chiaki asked, looking rather surprised.

"Yeah, she's right," another voice responded, and the five turned to see Bow walking up to them.

"Hey there, Bow!" Azure said, smirking. "So, what's the story?"

"Well, last night, my mom had a vision showing the location of one of the missing crystals, and this morning, we informed the other rescue teams," Bow explained.

"I see," Azure responded, nodding slightly. "So, what's the deal with this mystery dungeon?"

"Why doesn't anyone want to go there and get the crystal back?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Have you guys heard about Nightmirror Forest?" Bow responded.

Everyone immediately turned to Blitz.

"Uh… I may have seen the name on the map," Blitz replied, rubbing his forelegs together. "I don't really know anything about it, though."

"Ah, I see," Bow responded, nodding her head slightly. "Well, you see, this mystery dungeon is notorious for being nearly impossible to get through because of the ghost types living in it."

"G-G-G-Ghosts?" Frederick said, nervously taking a few steps back.

"Frederick, just why are you afraid of ghosts?" Azure asked, glancing over at him. "You're part dark type, which gives you the type advantage in a fight against them!"

"So… These ghost type Pokémon are really tough?" Blitz asked, looking over at Bow.

"I'm not sure how strong they are," Bow responded, shaking her head. "But, it's not their power level that makes them difficult to deal with."

"Go on," Blitz replied.

"These ghost types use their powers to confuse and mislead those that try to explore the mystery dungeon, making it difficult to tell whether you're even going anywhere or if you are just going around in a circle," Bow explained. "Most rescue teams that have attempted to explore the place would eventually give up and go home. There are also rarely any missions involving the place, so most rescue teams tend to just avoid the place."

"But there _has_ to be a way to get through that dungeon, right?" Azure asked, looking over at Bow. "I mean, surely there's some trick to it, or something?"

"I don't know too much about it," Bow responded, holding a hand to her chin. "But… perhaps if you can convince the ghosts to help you instead, then it might be possible to reach the crystal."

"But ghosts are scary!" Frederick exclaimed, shuddering. "H-How do we convince one to help us?"

"I'm not sure," Bow replied, shrugging slightly. "Like I said, that's really all I know…"

"Thank you, Bow," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "This information has been quite helpful."

"You're welcome!" Bow replied, before skipping off happily.

As Bow was heading home, Azure turned to her teammates with a cheerful smile on her face. Blitz had a feeling he knew what she was thinking.

"What are you guys waiting for?" Azure asked, grinning. "Let's get ready to explore the Nightmirror Forest!"

"Y-You really want to explore a scary place like that!?" Frederick exclaimed.

"Hey, Bow did give us a useful hint!" Azure responded, still grinning. "Come on, _somebody_ has to go get that crystal!"

"N-Not me…" Frederick said, turning around and trying to walk away. "I-I'm not going into a mystery dungeon full of scary ghosts…"

"Oh, yes you are!" Azure responded, grabbing Frederick to keep him from leaving.

"W-What!?" Frederick exclaimed, turning around so that he was facing Azure. "Azure, I… I can't!"

"You've got to face your fears, buddy!" Azure cheerfully replied. "This is a chance for you to overcome your fear of ghosts!"

"It's not as simple as that!" Frederick responded, shaking his head. "My mom says that it takes time to overcome your fears, and that you should do it carefully, one step at a time!"

"Your mom's a smart dragon," Azure replied, nodding slightly. "But I still think you should go."

"What? Why?" Frederick responded.

"Consider it the first step to overcoming your fears!" Azure replied, affectionately patting Frederick on the head.

"Hey, wait a minute," Chiaki said, holding a paw to his chin. "What about Samara? Frederick's not scared of her!"

"Well, she's friendly," Frederick replied, lowering his head a little. "It's the _scary_ ghosts I'm afraid of…"

"… That makes no sense," Azure responded.

"You know, like Erebos and Malefica!" Frederick said.

"Malefica's not that scary," Azure responded. "As for Erebos… I'm not sure if he counts as a ghost _type_ , but I do understand why you'd be scared of him."

"So, you'll let me stay here?" Frederick asked with a cautious smile.

"Nope," Azure replied, grinning. "We'll need your dark type attacks to deal with wild ghost type Pokémon and whatever else we have to fight in there!"

"Aww…" Frederick responded, sighing.

"… I shouldn't be going along with this, but Frederick's dark type attacks _would_ indeed be very useful in this situation," Blitz commented, holding a paw to his chin. "So, it may be best to bring him along for this one."

"And besides, it's not like you'll be alone in there!" Azure said, patting Frederick's back comfortingly.

"That's right," Sera replied, nodding her head. "We'll be by your side, so you won't have to face the ghosts alone!"

"Ah, that's right…" Frederick responded. "If you guys are with me, then… I guess it's a little less scary…"

"It's settled, then!" Azure said, raising her hand. "Come on; let's go get the supplies we need!"

* * *

After making a few stops at the shops and the item warehouse, Blitz and his teammates made their way to the rescue team HQ. Mirage and her team, having decided against trying to retrieve the crystal, were looking at some missions on one of the bulletin boards. Blitz and his teammates instead went straight for Kala's room, but as they got close to the purple curtain, Frederick began to take a few steps back.

"O-On second thought, maybe we should do something else instead," Frederick said.

"Come on, Frederick," Azure said, patting the Deino's back. "You're a big, brave dragon, aren't you?"

"… No," Frederick responded, shaking his head.

"Remember the talk we had about self-confidence?" Azure asked.

"Uh… Yes, but…" Frederick replied, turning away. "You're better at this than me!"

"Oh, but I'm too impatient and impulsive for a mission like this!" Azure responded, smiling sheepishly. "I'd just get frustrated about not knowing how far into the dungeon we are, and I'd probably mess up our chances of getting the ghost Pokémon of the forest to co-operate with us!"

"… She's probably right," Blitz commented, holding a paw to his chin.

"That's why you're going on this mission instead of me!" Azure said, grinning. "I believe in you, Frederick! I know you can do it!"

"Even if you say that…" Frederick responded, sighing. "I'm still scared to go, you know?"

"I think all you need is a little push!" Azure replied, smirking. "Here, let me help you out, buddy!"

Azure then took a few steps away, before suddenly charging at Frederick and tackling him with enough force to send him flying into Kala's room. The other Pokémon in the room stared blankly at the scene, especially as the sound of the young Deino landing on something inside the room was followed by a startled scream.

"AH! _THE ZOMBIES ARE BACK!_ " the startled-awake Kala shrieked as she attempted to get out from underneath the Deino that had just crash-landed on top of her.

"Oh, hey there, Kala…" Frederick said, somewhat dazed. "Are you scared of ghosts too?"

"H-Huh? What's this about ghosts?" Kala responded, still attempting to push the Deino off of her. "Get off me, will you?"

"Oh, okay…" Frederick replied, getting off of Kala.

"Thank you," Kala responded, sighing. "Man, what was that all about? If you need to wake me up so I can teleport you somewhere, just shake me by the shoulder or something!"

"Ah, I'm sorry about that!" Azure said, peeking into Kala's room with a sheepish smile on her face.

"Really, Azure, why does your solution to most problems involve brute strength or your water attacks?" Blitz asked, looking over at Azure with an annoyed look as he entered the room.

"And this is _exactly_ why I shouldn't go on this mission!" Azure said, chuckling nervously.

"So, where do you want to go?" Kala asked as she hovered in front of the rescue team with her arms crossed.

"Nightmirror Forest," Chiaki said, looking up at Kala.

"Nightmirror Forest?" Kala repeated, blinking a few times. "Why do you want to go there?"

"Stella says there's a crystal there," Sera explained, taking a few steps forward. "We want to try to retrieve it."

"Hmm… I see," Kala responded, holding a hand to her chin. "However, if you intend to go there, there's another place where you need to go first."

"Oh?" Blitz replied, tilting his head slightly. "Do you know something about this mystery dungeon, Kala?"

Kala hovered up to the large map on the wall, and pointed a finger at one of the marked mystery dungeons on it.

"This is Nightmirror Forest," Kala said, before moving her finger to another area not far from the forest. "And around this area here, is a Cubone tribe."

"A… Cubone tribe?" Sera inquired, tilting her head slightly.

"The Cubone and Marowak who live there have developed a special relationship with the ghosts of Nightmirror Forest," Kala explained, looking over at the five Pokémon. "If you wish to make it through Nightmirror Forest, you will need to ask them for help."

"I see…" Blitz responded. "So, they know what to do…"

"Whoa, that's amazing," Azure said, blinking a few times. "But… if even the town oracle didn't know about that… Kala, how do _you_ know about this?"

"Ah, I'm glad you asked," Kala responded, yawning and stretching her arms as she began floating back down to her pillow. "You see, sometime before I moved here, I… I was… and then… something… and…"

Kala fell back down onto her pillow and started snoring lightly, the other Pokémon in the room just standing around awkwardly for a few moments.

"… I guess she's back to normal now," Blitz commented, before walking up to Kala and lightly shaking her shoulder. "Um… Kala?"

Kala opened her eyes slightly, and sat up, looking around at the rescue team.

"So, um… Want me to teleport you guys to where the Cubone tribe is?" Kala asked as if nothing had happened.

"… Yes, please," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

"All right…" Kala replied, drowsily nodding her head. "Leave it to me…"

"Good luck, guys!" Azure said, cheerfully waving to her teammates.

"Thanks, Azure," Frederick responded with a nervous smile. "I'm probably going to need that…"

In a flash of green light, Blitz, Sera, Chiaki and Frederick were teleported out of the room. As Kala went back to sleep, Azure exited the room and began making her way back to the café. She stopped for a moment, turning back.

"Was I being too hard on him?" Azure muttered, looking slightly concerned. "Ah, well… I'm sure he can handle this. After all, Blitz, Sera and Chiaki are with him… Yeah, he'll be fine."

* * *

In a flash of light, Blitz, Sera, Chiaki and Frederick arrived at their destination. Looking around, they spotted what appeared to be a small village a short distance away from where Kala's teleport put them. It had to be the home of the Cubone tribe that Kala was talking about. As the four of them began making their way towards the village, they suddenly noticed a brown bipedal Pokémon approaching them. The Pokémon had a white skull-like head, and was carrying a bone in one hand as it approached the rescue team with his eyes closed. It then stopped in front of them, and opened his eyes.

"Visitors…?" the Marowak said, looking over the rescue team. "That's quite the rare sight around these parts. What could possibly bring you here?"

"An Abra brought us here," Frederick responded.

"Um… We're here on an important mission," Blitz explained, rubbing his forelegs together.

"An important mission…?" the Marowak responded. "Interesting… Tell me more."

"You may already know this, but the crystals from Axis Tower were stolen a while back, and we've been trying to retrieve them so they can be returned to their rightful place," Blitz explained. "One of them is apparently hidden within the deepest part of Nightmirror Forest, and a friend of ours told us that you guys knew how to navigate the forest."

"So, please," Sera said, looking up at the Marowak. "Please help us out!"

"I see…" the Marowak responded, holding a hand to his chin. "A rescue team on an important mission, risking everything in order to protect their loves ones…"

"Uh… I guess so," Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly.

"… Oh, such noble Pokémon! And at such a young age too!" the Marowak exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the rescue team. "Being in the presence of such courageous Pokémon… it fills me with admiration!"

"… Okay," Blitz responded, glancing around and taking a step back.

"Please tell me!" the Marowak said, grabbing one of Blitz's forelegs and gazing into his golden eyes. "Tell me how I may be of assistance, noble heroes!"

"Um… Could you take us to your leader?" Blitz responded, staring nervously at the Marowak.

"Yes, little blue one!" the Marowak replied, nodding his head. "Follow me!"

As the group made their way through the village, several young Cubone cast curious glances in their direction as they walked by. Chiaki cheerfully waved at a few of the Cubone they walked past, before they soon reached the leader of the tribe. The leader of the tribe was wearing a necklace made with dark blue gems. If they were of the type of gems that glowed in the dark, they would probably be giving off a soft glow at night.

"Leader, a rescue team from Fenix Town has come to seek our help!" the Marowak exclaimed, grinning as he pointed to the four of them with his bone.

"A rescue team…?" the tribe leader inquired, looking over at Blitz and the others. "Rescue teams don't usually bother coming all the way out here."

"Well, you see, we have this important mission…" Blitz explained, rubbing the yellow rings on his forelegs together. "Our friend Kala told us that the Cubone tribe here knew how to get through Nightmirror Forest."

"I see," the leader replied, nodding his head slightly. "And what is this mission you speak of? Did another group of explorers get themselves lost in there, perhaps?"

"No, sir," Blitz responded, shaking his head. "We need to retrieve a crystal that was taken from Axis Tower."

"A crystal from the Axis Tower…?" the tribe leader replied, looking surprised. "Are you telling me that some Pokémon actually stole the crystals from that place?"

"You hadn't heard?" Blitz asked. "It's been a while since it happened… We've been doing our best to retrieve the crystals."

"We've managed to get four of them back so far," Sera added.

"I see…" the tribe leader responded, holding a hand to his chin. "This does explain the strange things that have been happening in some of the other areas near here…"

"You mean… distortions in space?" Blitz inquired.

"Yes," the tribe leader responded, nodding his head. "Some of the Cubone have reported seeing small distortions in the fabric of space in more and more places lately."

"We need to get the rest of the crystals back," Chiaki said, looking concerned. "Most of the distortions so far may have been small, but who knows how long it'll stay that way?"

"Indeed," the tribe leader responded, nodding his head again. "I'll have someone guide you through the dungeon. With the current situation, I'm sure the ghosts won't make it too difficult for you guys."

"I-I hope not…" Frederick muttered, shivering a little.

"Please, give me this task!" the Marowak that had brought the rescue team here exclaimed, looking up at the tribe leader hopefully. "The thought of assisting these noble heroes fills me with determination!"

"I'm sure it does," the tribe leader responded dryly. "If you want to help, then go find Lodestone and let him know we need his help."

"Lodestone…?" the other Marowak replied, looking a bit disappointed.

"You will get your chance someday, but for now, leave this to him," the tribe leader said.

"… All right!" the other Marowak responded, nodding his head. "I'll go get him right away!"

The other Marowak quickly headed off somewhere to look for this Marowak called Lodestone.

"Lodestone has helped guide many Cubone through the ritual in the forest," the tribe leader explained to the rescue team. "He knows the ghost-type Pokémon well, so you'll be in good hands."

"Ah, I see," Blitz responded, rubbing his forelegs together. "So, um… What was that about a ritual?"

"Once a year, the Cubone that have reached a certain age are accompanied by a Marowak guide as they head into the Nightmirror Forest," the Marowak tribe leader explained. "The ghost-types test their courage and determination as they make their way through the dungeon."

"Aren't they scared of t-the ghosts…?" Frederick asked.

"Why would they be?" the tribe leader responded. "The ghost-types of the forest have been our comrades for a long time."

"I see," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

"You hear that, Frederick?" Chiaki asked, smiling as he looked over at the Deino. "The ghost Pokémon of the forest must be really good friends with the Cubone if they help out with this ceremony every year!"

"Yeah, it sounds like they're nice Pokémon," Sera added. "I don't think there's anything to be scared of!"

"This necklace was a present from the Spiritomb that lives in the deepest part of Nightmirror Forest," the tribe leader explained, holding up part of the necklace he was wearing. "She gave it to me after I became the new leader of this tribe."

"A Spiritomb?" Blitz inquired, tilting his head slightly. "Is she the leader of the ghosts, or something?"

"Close to it," the tribe leader responded, nodding his head. "She is one of the oldest ghost Pokémon of the forest, looked up to by the other ghost-types."

"I see," Blitz replied.

"She currently goes by the name "Nereza"," the tribe leader said. "Supposedly, she changes it every one-hundred-and-eight years."

As the tribe leader finished his explanation, another Marowak walked over to them. The Marowak was carrying a bone with an orange gem tied to one end of it.

"You called for me?" the Marowak asked.

"Lodestone, I need you to guide this rescue team through Nightmirror Forest," the tribe leader explained. "They need to retrieve a crystal that was taken from the Axis Tower and hidden somewhere in the forest."

"Understood," Lodestone responded, nodding his head slightly.

"Considering the circumstances, the ghosts shouldn't make things too difficult for you," the leader said.

"I-I hope you're right…" Frederick responded nervously.

"He _is_ right," Lodestone replied, looking over at the young Deino. "Nereza and the other ghosts will surely assist us in the search for this crystal."

"Thanks for helping us with this," Blitz said, looking up at Lodestone.

"There is no need to thank me," Lodestone responded. "Rescue teams do their best for the sake of all Pokémon in this region, don't they?"

"I-I suppose," Blitz replied, smiling sheepishly.

"Let's do our best together," Lodestone said. "I'll meet you by the entrance to the mystery dungeon once I've prepared my supplies."

"Oh, that's not necessary," Chiaki responded before pointing to the bag Blitz was carrying. "We brought items!"

"I can see that," Lodestone replied, nodding his head slightly. "However, I'd still like to bring some items of my own, even if this mission should be an easy one."

"Okay," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

"The entrance to the dungeon is over that way," Lodestone explained, pointing his bone in the direction of the forest. "You can't miss it."

"Got it," Blitz responded, nodding his head with a determined look in his eyes. "We'll meet you there."

* * *

After a short walk from the Cubone tribe's home, Blitz and his teammates found themselves in front of the entrance to Nightmirror Forest. They just needed to wait for Lodestone to show up before they could head inside. Frederick was shivering in fright at the thought of encountering ghosts inside the forest, while Chiaki was trying to reassure him that things would be okay. Sera sat down next to Blitz, looking up at the two tall trees on each side of the entrance to the mystery dungeon.

"… Are you nervous?" Sera asked, looking over at Blitz.

"… A little," Blitz responded, rubbing one foreleg against the other. "But I'm sure we'll be fine. Lodestone seems to have a lot of experience with this dungeon."

"I see," Sera replied, nodding her head slightly. "All we have to do is follow his lead, I guess…"

"Yeah, I suppose," Blitz responded, taking a deep breath.

"… Do you think Frederick will be okay in there?" Sera asked, glancing over at their other two teammates.

"Well, at least he knows attacks that will be super effective against the ghost-types," Blitz responded. "If anything, Chiaki might have a more difficult time since he doesn't know many attacks that would be effective against ghosts."

"Oh," Sera replied, turning back to Blitz. "I didn't even think of that."

"However, since Lodestone said the ghost-types would probably co-operate once we explained the situation to them, we probably won't have to face too many battles," Blitz said.

"Oh, right," Sera responded, smiling at Blitz. "Guess we won't have too big a challenge with retrieving the crystal this time around!"

"Yeah…" Blitz replied, looking away. "At least, I hope that's the case…"

Blitz noticed an orange light in the corner of his eye, and turned to see Lodestone approaching them. A small sack was now tied to his bone club, while the orange gem on top of it was shining brightly.

"Sorry for the wait," Lodestone said as he walked up to the rescue team. "Is everyone ready to go?"

"I-I'm not…" Frederick muttered, shaking his head.

"Frederick, the ghosts _aren't_ going to eat you!" Chiaki said, petting the Deino's back. "The Marowak told us they were friendly just a few minutes ago!"

"Y-Yeah, they're friends with the Cubone," Frederick responded. "B-But… we're not Cubone…"

"Don't worry!" Chiaki replied, grinning. "I'm sure they'll be our friends too!"

"Come on, you two!" Sera said, waving her paw at Chiaki and Frederick. "Let's get going now that everyone's here!"

"Yes, we shouldn't waste any more time," Lodestone added, looking at the entrance to the mystery dungeon. "Come, follow me."

Lodestone vanished from sight as he stepped through the entrance to the dungeon, soon followed by Blitz and Sera.

"Come on, let's go," Chiaki said, smiling at Frederick. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave!"

"Oh, good point…" Frederick responded, nodding his head. "All right, let's go."

The two quickly made their way into the dungeon and caught up with the other three Pokémon at the first floor of the mystery dungeon. Trees were forming the labyrinth around them, as Lodestone stepped up and cleared his throat.

"Ghost type Pokémon of Nightmirror Forest!" Lodestone called out. "It's me, Lodestone."

There was no reply. Blitz, Sera and Chiaki looked around, but couldn't see any other Pokémon around.

"This rescue team needs your help," Lodestone called out, looking for signs of his ghostly allies. "You may or may not already be aware of this, but an important artifact has been hidden somewhere within this forest. You need to help us look for it!"

There was still no reply. Blitz couldn't tell what Lodestone was thinking, but could tell from the way Lodestone was now looking around that something wasn't right.

"… Maybe they're not here?" Frederick suggested in a half-hopeful tone.

"… The atmosphere feels different somehow," Lodestone said, glancing around. "Let's head deeper into the dungeon."

"O-Okay," Blitz responded, nodding his head.

Unbeknownst to Lodestone and the rescue team, they were being watched as they walked away to explore the rest of the floor. Even as they left, the three Pokémon in the shadows refused to leave their hiding spots.

"So… What should we do?" a female voice whispered to the other two Pokémon.

"Those Pokémon don't look that strong," a male voice commented.

"That's really hard to tell, you know," a second male voice responded. "We of all Pokémon should know that appearances can be deceiving!"

"… He has a point," the female voice commented, sighing. "I guess we have no choice, do we?"

"I guess not," the first male voice responded, shrugging slightly.

"Then it's settled," the second male said. "We must do what we can for Nereza's sake!"

"Yes!" the other two voices replied affirmatively.

The three voices continued whispering amongst themselves in the darkness, working out a plan for how they would deal with the rescue team that had entered the forest. They knew they would have to resort to tactics they didn't normally use, but reminded themselves that it was all for the sake of the ones they wanted to protect as they set off to put their plan into motion…

* * *

**End of Chapter 44**


	45. You know you can't escape your destiny.

* * *

The Nightmirror Forest was said to be full of ghost-type Pokémon capable of creating illusions to mislead travelers, making it difficult to reach the depths of the forest. However, as far as Blitz could tell, this wasn't any different from any other mystery dungeons he and his teammates had explored so far. They had gotten through the first few floors without any difficulty, and that worried him. He could tell from the subtle changes in Lodestone's stoic expressions as they kept walking that something wasn't right.

Blitz listened closely and kept a look out for any signs of other Pokémon in the dungeon, but so far, there weren't any to be seen. In fact, they hadn't even seen a single wild Pokémon yet. While Frederick was relieved to not have to deal with any ghost-type Pokémon, the lack of wild Pokémon just made it all seem much weirder.

"Still no signs of anyone…" Blitz said, looking around.

"Where could they all be?" Sera asked, looking a bit concerned.

"This is unusual," Lodestone said, putting his free hand to his chin. "They should have at least given us some sort of signal by now…"

"Is it really a problem?" Frederick asked, smiling. "We'll get this done faster if we don't have to deal with any scary ghosts, right?"

"Hmm… Let's keep going," Lodestone said, looking around. "We need to find out what's going on here."

"You're worried about your ghost-type friends, aren't you?" Chiaki asked, looking up at the Marowak.

Lodestone didn't answer the question, and simply kept following the rescue team as they explored more of the mystery dungeon.

"… Could Erebos' magic have done this?" Sera wondered out loud, glancing around and moving a bit closer to Blitz. "He did something to the other dungeons we retrieved a crystal from, after all…"

"You may be onto something there," Blitz responded, glancing at Sera behind him. "I wonder what he could've done to leave this place so empty, though…"

"Did he scare the ghosts away…?" Frederick mused. "He's probably scary enough to do that, isn't he…?"

Blitz was about to say something when he suddenly spotted a shadow moving around in the distance. They moved forward to investigate, moving into another section of the floor. The room seemed to be empty, however.

"I guess it must've gotten away…" Blitz muttered, glancing around. "Wonder which way it went?"

"I wouldn't know," Frederick responded, shuddering. "It is _really_ hard to pick up on a ghost-type's scent, meaning they could be _anywhere_ and we wouldn't know it…"

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Chiaki called out, looking around. "We won't hurt you, or anything!"

"And w-we'd appreciate if you didn't hurt us either…" Frederick added. "Please, don't eat us… I really don't want to get eaten…"

Lodestone suddenly motioned with his free hand for the others to be quiet, and looked around. A faint whispering could be heard from somewhere.

"G-G-Ghosts!" Frederick gasped, shivering.

"What are they saying?" Chiaki whispered, looking around curiously for the source of the noise.

"I think it's coming from over there," Blitz said, pointing his paw towards one of the other paths.

"Let's go over there, then," Sera responded.

"This behavior is highly unusual," Lodestone said as the group continued making their way through the floor. "We should be careful."

The group soon entered another section of the floor, in which the stairs leading to the next floor was located.

"… They just led us to the stairs?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly. "I thought this would be leading to something a bit more exciting."

"Like what?" Chiaki responded, curiously looking over at Sera.

All of a sudden, purple gas started leaking out from the walls of the labyrinth. Lodestone and the rescue team looked around as several dark orbs with eyes and mouths formed from the purple gas, realizing that they were surrounded by Gastly.

"Is this… a Monster House?" Blitz wondered out loud, looking around as several Gastly hovered towards him and his teammates while laughing eerily.

"Do I have beautiful eyes?" one of the Gastly asked, her big eyes glowing as she hovered towards Chiaki. "Take a good look now…"

"Don't look at their eyes!" Lodestone shouted, before noticing that Frederick was running away in the direction they had come from. "Hey, what are you doing!? Get back here!"

Lodestone sighed and looked around at the Gastly surrounding the other three members of the rescue team.

"Of all the things that could happen…" Lodestone muttered.

"Lodestone, go after him!" Blitz shouted, making his fur shine brightly in order to temporarily stun some of the Gastly surrounding him and Sera. "We can handle things here in the meantime!"

"If you say so…" Lodestone responded, heading off as fast as he could in the direction Frederick ran off in.

It didn't take long before he found the young Deino sitting by himself in the previous section of the floor, breathing rapidly. The Marowak shook his head, before walking up to and gently placing his free hand on the Deino's back.

"You shouldn't have run away like that," Lodestone said. "In situations like these, it is best to stay together."

"I-I'm sorry…" Frederick responded, starting to calm down a little. "I… I panicked…"

"You are part of their rescue team, are you not?" Lodestone asked.

"Um… I'm not sure, actually…" Frederick responded, shaking his head slightly. "I've joined them on missions before, but…"

"Well, either way they clearly think of you as a friend they can trust," Lodestone replied.

"I… I guess so…" Frederick responded, sighing. "Oh, why am I so scared of ghosts!?"

"Why, indeed," Lodestone replied, shrugging slightly. "However, we can discuss that later. For now, we'd better hurry back and help the others."

"O-Okay…" Frederick responded, nodding his head slightly.

As they began heading back to the room with the stairs, Lodestone immediately noticed that it was way too quiet over there. No sounds of a rescue team fighting off multiple Gastly to be heard.

"… No one is here," Lodestone observed, looking around at the empty room.

"T-They're gone!?" Frederick exclaimed. "Did the ghosts eat them!?"

"No, of course not," Lodestone responded, shaking his head. "I'm not sure where they all went, but chances are the ghost-types have taken your friends to another part of the dungeon."

"W-Why would they do that?" Frederick asked, staying a bit closer to Lodestone than the Marowak was comfortable with.

"Perhaps they want to test them," Lodestone responded, choosing not to make a comment about his personal space seeing as they both currently had bigger concerns. "However, since this isn't one of our rituals, I'm not sure why they'd do that…"

"S-So, what should _we_ do, then?" Frederick asked. "Do we just keep heading deeper into the dungeon…?"

"For now, that seems to be our only option," Lodestone responded, nodding his head and looking towards the stairs. "Hopefully, we'll find your friends and get some answers about what exactly is going on."

"O-Okay…" Frederick replied, taking a deep breath. "I… I promise I won't run away again."

Lodestone and Frederick walked up the stairs to the next floor, and began their search for their missing teammates. Frederick tried not to think about how scared he was as they explored more of the dungeon, while hoping his friends were okay…

* * *

Chiaki opened his eyes slightly, as he found himself lying on his stomach in the grass. Looking around at the walls of trees surrounding him, he remembered where he was and quickly sat up. However, he couldn't see his teammates or the Marowak that had accompanied them into this mystery dungeon anywhere. He couldn't see any stairs nearby either, meaning this had to be another part of the dungeon.

"… What happened…?" Chiaki wondered out loud, looking around. "How'd I get here… and where are the others?"

He got onto his feet, trying to remember what had happened.

"Hmm… I remember looking into one of the Gastly's eyes," Chiaki muttered, holding a paw to his chin. "… But I have no idea what happened after that."

He sighed and shook his head. It seemed there was only one path to take out of the section of mystery dungeon he was in.

"I need to find everyone," Chiaki said as he started running down the path. "They might need my help!"

To begin with, Chiaki kept running as he looked around and called out for his friends. However, there were no signs of any of his friends. As he gradually had to start slowing down, he began to wonder how big this floor was. He hadn't seen any stairs yet, and most of the rooms seemed to be about the same size, making them a bit difficult to tell apart. Blitz was carrying their supplies, so he couldn't use any items to figure out where he was either.

"What is with this floor…?" Chiaki wondered, looking around and rubbing the back of his head.

"I don't know!" a second voice responded, much to Chiaki's surprise.

"Huh? There's somebody else in here?" Chiaki asked, as he heard the sounds of something approaching him from behind.

Chiaki quickly turned out to see who was on this floor with him, and was quite surprised to discover another Mienfoo standing behind him. The second Mienfoo just smiled and waved at him.

"Um… Hello," Chiaki said, waving back at the other Mienfoo. "Didn't expect to see another Mienfoo in here… Who are you?"

"Who, me?" the other Mienfoo responded, tilting his head slightly. "Don't you recognize me? I'm _you_!"

"You're… me?" Chiaki replied, blinking a few times. "But… _I'm_ me…"

"That's right!" the other Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

"But… how can both of us be…?" Chiaki muttered, tilting his head slightly. "Is this a dream…?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," the other Chiaki replied, shrugging slightly. "I just know I want to get out of here and back to the others."

"Yeah, same here," Chiaki responded, nodding his head. "Maybe you can help me look for them?"

"Of course," the other Chiaki replied, smiling and nodding his head. "After all, I know how important they all are to you."

"Well, if you're _me_ , I guess you _would_ know that," Chiaki responded, giving a confused chuckle.

"Yes, that's how it is," the other Chiaki replied, still smiling. "I know everything about you."

"Really…?" Chiaki responded, holding a hand to his chin. "Then, perhaps… You know anything about who I was before I lost my memories?"

"Um… Do you _really_ want your memories back?" the other Chiaki asked, looking away with a concerned expression. "I mean, you have _new_ memories now, right? Isn't that enough?"

"What do you mean?" Chiaki responded, tilting his head.

"Getting your memories back means you may have to leave your friends," the other Chiaki said, staring into Chiaki's eyes. "I know you already know that."

"Ah, well… I guess so," Chiaki responded, rubbing the back of his head.

"You want to stay with them forever, don't you?" the other Chiaki asked, grinning.

"… I… I do want to stay with Blitz, Sera and everyone else in Fenix Town," Chiaki responded, staring down at the grass. "But…"

"I know," the other Chiaki said, nodding his head slightly. "Deep down, you know that there's somewhere else you _should_ be, don't you?"

Chiaki looked away from his doppelganger, unsure how to answer his question. Before, he hadn't made any effort to regain his memories because he had no idea where to even begin. For a while, his only lead was Elina, who couldn't talk. Since she couldn't tell him anything at the time, he had figured that he could just wait. However, things were different now. Elina had learned to communicate via telepathy. She could tell him the truth now. Chiaki could finally learn who he _really_ was.

_"Who I was before…who I am now… which is the real me?"_

Chiaki shuddered a bit as he thought about how he didn't really know anything about himself. Normally, it didn't bother him much. When he was spending time with his friends, he didn't really think much about it. However, when Sera and Blitz were struggling with their own problems, it had occurred to Chiaki how he couldn't really relate to what either of them was going through. He wanted to help them, but he didn't know how. Even now, he wasn't entirely sure what was going through their minds…

"Do you _really_ think that getting your memories back will allow you to understand them better?" the other Chiaki asked, staring eerily at Chiaki.

"W-What…?" Chiaki responded, caught off-guard by how his doppelganger had seemingly read his mind. "I… I don't know?"

"We both know that you can't keep delaying the inevitable," the doppelganger said, closing his eyes and holding a paw to his chest. "Part of you already knows the truth, but doesn't want to accept it!"

Chiaki gasped and his eyes widened as he felt something inside him react to the doppelganger's statement. He shakily placed his paw on his chest, mirroring his doppelganger's movement.

"Part of me… already knows the truth…?" Chiaki muttered.

The doppelganger just nodded his head. Chiaki closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Perhaps you're right…" Chiaki said, faintly recalling a shadow looming over him. "A part of me… may have known all along…"

"So, what will you do?" the other Chiaki asked, crossing his arms. "Will you choose to seek out the truth? Will you accept it?"

* * *

In another part of the mystery dungeon, Blitz was attempting to track down his friends on one of the floors. However, he couldn't seem to pick up any of their scents, nor were there any other traces of them on this particular floor. He hadn't found any stairs leading to another floor either, so all he could do for now was keep looking around and hope he found something. He examined the rooms closely, checking for anything that might be hidden in case whoever brought him here had hidden the stairs.

"I hope the others are okay…" Blitz muttered, sighing as he continued looking around.

He also kept an eye out for anything else suspicious, in case the ghost-type Pokémon they fought before were planning another ambush. He was fairly certain that this was Erebos' doing. The way Erebos kept setting up his traps in the dungeons where he hid the crystals made it seem like the dark spirit was treating all of this like some twisted game.

"Well, if this is a game, we can't let him win," Blitz muttered under his breath as he kept walking.

Suddenly, he noticed what appeared to be a glowing orb of yellow light in the distance. It seemed to be moving down one of the paths, and Blitz quietly began following it. He slowly crept forward, trying to get closer to the mysterious light without being noticed. Blitz soon noticed that the light seemed to be attached to something, and soon he could clearly make out a familiar-looking figure.

 _"That's… a Luxray,"_ Blitz thought, quietly observing the larger Pokémon. _"Why is there a Luxray in here?"_

Blitz wasn't entirely sure whether to approach the Luxray and ask if he knew anything about what was going on, or to try to avoid him. The already strange situation he had found himself in just seemed to be getting even stranger. Before he could give much more thought to it, however, the Luxray suddenly turned his head and looked over at where Blitz was currently hiding. Realizing that he had been spotted, Blitz quietly stepped out from his hiding spot.

"… Blitz?" the Luxray said, taking a few steps closer. "Is that you?"

Blitz gasped and his eyes widened in shock as the Luxray spoke to him. It wasn't just the fact that the Luxray knew his name without being told, but because Blitz also immediately recognized the Luxray's voice.

"D-Dad!?" Blitz exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief. "W-What are you… why are you here…?"

"I was just about to ask you the same," the Luxray responded, seeming unusually calm about the situation. "Shouldn't you be home with your mother and Lita?"

"Oh, I… I, um… things were pretty difficult at home, so my mom sent me off to Fenix Town to train," Blitz explained, looking away from his father while rubbing the yellow rings on his forelegs together. "It's… kind of difficult to explain."

"I see," the Luxray responded, nodding his head. "So, you've been living on your own in Fenix Town, huh?"

"At first, yes…" Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly. "But I have a roommate now… his name is Chiaki. He's a Mienfoo."

"Ah, a friend of yours?" the Luxray asked.

"Well, I guess so," Blitz responded, still not looking up at his father. "We're both in the same rescue team."

"You're in a rescue team?" the Luxray asked, taking a step closer to Blitz.

"Y-Yes…" Blitz responded, nervously taking a step back. "My friend Sera was the one who came up with it. She's an Eevee."

"I see," the Luxray replied, holding a paw to his chin. "So, is Sera the leader of your rescue team, or…?"

"Uh… I guess she is," Blitz responded, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Is that so," the Luxray replied, pointing a paw at the rescue team's badge on the bag Blitz was carrying. "Then shouldn't _she_ be the one carrying that?"

"Oh, well… um… I've been leading the team on our missions for the past few days, while Sera has been dealing with some… uh… personal things," Blitz explained, still looking away.

"Ah, I see," the Luxray responded, smiling. "Good to hear that you've been getting the training you need. Surely your leadership skills have been a good help for the team."

"H-Huh?" Blitz replied, nervously looking up at the Luxray. "N-No… This is just a temporary thing… Sera is the leader of this team, not me…"

"Still, it's good that you're getting experience with leading this rescue team," the Luxray responded, still smiling eerily. "After all, you _are_ going to be the leader of Lightning Plateau's Luxray pride someday."

"I… I…" Blitz stuttered, taking a few more steps backwards. "I don't want…"

"Blitz, just accept it," the Luxray said, staring down at Blitz. "You know you can't escape your destiny."

Blitz gasped and curled up on the ground, staring blankly up at the Luxray.

* * *

Sera groaned in frustration as she found herself in yet another empty room, and no sign of her friends anywhere. She was starting to wonder if she was even getting anywhere, or if she had just been wandering around in circles. She sat down and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down before continuing her search for the others. She looked around at the available paths, but doubted any of them would lead her anywhere. There _had_ to be a way out of this labyrinth somewhere, though. If only she could find it…

"It looks like you could use some help," a familiar female voice called out from somewhere behind, and Sera immediately turned around to see who it was.

"Amethyst?" Sera said, blinking a few times at the unexpected sight of the Espeon in front of her.

"Sera, how did you get yourself into this mess?" Amethyst asked, looking down at her sister curiously. "And where are your friends?"

"I wish I knew," Sera responded, sighing. "I can't find them anywhere…"

"My, that is quite the problem," Amethyst replied, looking concerned. "I hope they are unharmed."

"Yeah, me too," Sera responded, nodding her head. "Something really strange is going on here…"

"Well, I guess I'll have to help you look, then," Amethyst said, smiling at Sera.

"Uh… Thanks," Sera responded, tilting her head slightly. "But, Amethyst… Why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Amethyst asked, still smiling. "You always rely on others, because you lack confidence and the necessary skill to do anything on your own."

"… You don't have to put it so bluntly," Sera responded dryly, her ears drooping down a little. "Are you _really_ Amethyst?"

"What do you mean?" Amethyst asked, tilting her head slightly while still smiling sweetly.

"You're acting awfully strange," Sera responded, glaring at the Espeon. "For starters, how would Amethyst even know where I am right now? I usually don't decide on what missions I'll take until _after_ I've already left the house!"

"… Anything else?" Amethyst asked.

"I know my big sister, okay?" Sera responded, pointing a paw at the Espeon. "And you are _not_ my sister!"

"My, I'm impressed," the Espeon said, still smiling. "It didn't take you long to figure it out! Well done!"

"Enough of that," Sera responded sternly. "Tell me where my friends are!"

"Ah, right, your friends," the Espeon replied, its voice suddenly getting deeper as it stopped trying to imitate the voice of Amethyst. "I suppose you deserve an explanation for what is going on here."

"Yeah, you better explain!" Sera responded, nodding her head before pointing her paw at the Espeon once more. "Also, it feels weird hearing some stranger's voice coming out of my sister's mouth. Show me what you really look like!"

"Oh, how rude of me!" the "Espeon" exclaimed, holding a paw to its forehead with an embarrassed smile on its face. "Just a moment…"

The "Espeon" closed its eyes, and the gem on its forehead began shining brightly with a red light. Sera held one of her paws over her face to partially shield her eyes from the bright light, as the illusion vanished and the source of the light was now the single red eye of a bipedal gray ghost-type Pokémon with two hands in a lighter shade of gray floating in front of its body. The Dusclops' eye soon stopped glowing, and it made a motion as if clearing its throat before addressing Sera once more.

"Ah… is this better?" the Dusclops asked.

"Uh… Yes," Sera responded, nodding her head.

"That's good," the Dusclops replied, holding his hands together. "I'm sorry for causing you and your friends so much trouble, Miss Serafina."

"What exactly is going on here?" Sera asked, squinting one eye slightly while tilting her head to the side.

"We needed to test your strength," the Dusclops explained, looking down at the ground. "You see, our dearest Nereza has been acting awfully strange as of late."

"Nereza?" Sera responded, her ears perking up a little. "You mean that Spiritomb who lives in the deepest part of the forest?"

"Precisely," the Dusclops replied, nodding slightly. "She just hasn't been herself in a while, and some of the others claim to have sensed some mysterious dark force from her that we believe is causing her to act this way."

"It must be Erebos' doing," Sera responded. "He must've done the same to her that he did to Blaze back at Mt. Caldera."

"I'm no expert, but I believe you are right, Miss Serafina," the Dusclops replied.

"Have you or any of the other ghost-types seen a crystal that Nereza seems to be trying to hide?" Sera asked.

"Hmm… I do not know, I'm afraid," the Dusclops responded, shrugging slightly.

"The crystal has to be with her," Sera said, holding a paw to her chin. "So, if we can make her return to normal…"

"I must warn you, Lady Nereza is quite strong," the Dusclops explained. "Being one of the oldest Pokémon in this forest, she has many, _many_ years of experience."

"Still, you want us to help her, don't you?" Sera asked, looking up at the Dusclops. "If so, please help me get back to my friends!"

"Hmm… I suppose I could do that," the Dusclops said, shrugging slightly. "However, while you saw through my illusion, I'm afraid you haven't proven your strength to me yet."

"Oh, do we really need to do this now?" Sera asked, her ears drooping down slightly. "I don't have time for this!"

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Miss Serafina," the Dusclops responded. "But I need to make sure that you are strong enough to face Nereza in battle."

"In that case, you _have_ to help me find my friends!" Sera replied. "On my own, I can't show you my true strength, but with my friends…"

"Hmm… I suppose you _do_ have a point there," the Dusclops responded, holding one of his hands roughly around the area where his chin would be. "As a rescue team, you fight together."

"Yes! Exactly!" Sera replied, nodding her head. "So, please take me to where my friends are!"

"… Very well," the Dusclops responded, nodding slightly. "You have convinced me."

"Thank you," Sera replied, sighing in relief.

"However, your friends are also being tested," the Dusclops explained, his eye glowing for a brief moment. "… And from the look of things, one of them is having quite a bit of trouble facing his fears."

"Who?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"The young Shinx," the Dusclops responded.

"Blitz!" Sera exclaimed, her ears perking up.

"It seems the young Shinx is quite worried about his future," the Dusclops said. "I don't know the full story myself, but he seems quite distressed."

"I… I have to do something!" Sera said, her tail twitching slightly. "But what do I do?"

"From what I understand, Blitz is someone very important to you?" the Dusclops inquired.

"Blitz has helped me so many times," Sera responded, nodding her head slightly. "This time… I want to help him!"

"I understand," the Dusclops replied. "How do you intend to do this?"

"I don't know!" Sera responded, shaking her head. "But there has to be something I can do, right?"

"Well, if the two of you are truly the best of friends, then surely your feelings should be able to reach him?" the Dusclops asked.

"… That's right," Sera said, holding a paw to her chin. "If Blitz and I are true friends… then there's no reason for me to even hesitate to tell him how I really feel!"

"My, that is quite the bold statement," the Dusclops responded, touching his floating hands together. "Do you think he will understand?"

"I may not have been that good a friend to him before, but I've changed!" Sera replied.

"Oh, is that so?" the Dusclops responded.

"Yes," Sera replied, nodding her head. "I used to only think about myself and how to get others to start treating me like a grown-up, but then I met Blitz's younger sister, and… well, to make a long story short, I realized that I should've been paying more attention to those around me."

Sera sighed and her ears drooped down slightly.

"Blitz kept supporting me, even when he knew how bad my ideas were," Sera said, smiling wistfully. "Right now I can't say I understand _why_ he would go along with me during those times even though I was a terrible leader, but he did."

Sera closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"It's about time I make things up to him," Sera said, her ears perking up a bit. "I'm ready. Take me to where Blitz is!"

"Very well, Miss Serafina," the Dusclops responded, nodding slightly. "I will open the path for you."

"Thank you," Sera replied, smiling at the Dusclops.

The Dusclops turned around, and his eye began glowing red again. A section of the wall began to shine with red light, opening a path for Sera. Sera didn't waste any time. She began running down the path that had been opened as fast as she could, determined to reach Blitz. The Dusclops then sank into the ground, and began following Sera in the form of a shadow moving across the ground. He wasn't sure what would happen next, but from what he had already seen, he was certain that Sera would be able to prove her strength.

* * *

**End of Chapter 45**


	46. You're about one-hundred-and-eight years too early to be facing me!

* * *

Frederick had been following Lodestone through a few more floors of the dungeon, as they continued looking for Blitz, Sera and Chiaki. They hadn't run into anymore wild ghost-type Pokémon since they got separated from the others, and Frederick wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. They had found a few items on the way, but since they didn't have the treasure bag with them, there were limits to how many of them they could bring along as they continued their search.

"See any apples lying around?" Frederick asked, sniffing the ground. "I'm getting kind of hungry…"

"Nothing in this room," Lodestone responded, looking around. "Let's try the next one. Come on, this way."

Frederick had eaten a few berries they had found throughout their search, but they weren't enough to fill the young dragon's stomach.

"If only I hadn't run away earlier…" Frederick thought out loud, sighing. "That way, we wouldn't have gotten separated…"

They entered another room, where Lodestone spotted a piece of cloth on the ground. He picked it up and examined it.

"Hmm… Just as I thought," Lodestone said, before offering the item to Frederick. "I think this might help."

"Is it food?" Frederick asked, sniffing the item.

"It's a Stamina Band," Lodestone responded, tying it around Frederick's waist. "It should provide you with a little more energy, which should hopefully help a little."

"Oh, okay," Frederick replied, nodding his head slightly. "I still want something to eat, though."

"Well, let's keep searching for your friends," Lodestone said. "We might find something more for you to eat on the way."

"I hope so," Frederick responded. "Having to deal with scary ghosts is bad enough; I don't want to do it on an empty stomach…"

They kept walking for a bit, finding the stairs and moving on to the next floor before Lodestone spoke up once more.

"Frederick, could you explain to me _why_ you are afraid of ghost-type Pokémon?" Lodestone asked, looking over at Frederick.

"Um… It's because they're scary?" Frederick responded.

Lodestone did not seem satisfied with this answer.

"… That wasn't the answer you were looking for," Frederick said, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Let me ask you another question, then," Lodestone responded, clearing his throat. "It is my understanding that your species are unable to see until you reach your final evolution stage, correct?"

"Yeah, that's right," Frederick replied, nodding his head. "I tend to bump into things sometimes, but it doesn't really bother me that much."

"And because you lack sight, you rely on your other senses to find out who and what is around you," Lodestone said, glancing at Frederick. "As you said earlier, it is hard to pick up on a ghost-type Pokémon's scent."

"Yes, it is," Frederick responded, nodding his head again. "I have a really good sense of smell, but most ghost-types just don't leave much of a scent for me to track them…"

"Ghost-types are also good at sneaking up on others without making any sound," Lodestone added. "Like you said before, they could be nearby without you even realizing."

"Huh… That's right," Frederick responded, shuddering a little.

"Well, it's understandable that the idea of something that could easily get close to you like that without you ever noticing would be frightening," Lodestone said, nodding his head slightly.

"Oh, I… I guess you're right," Frederick responded, thinking about it for a few moments. "I also heard certain stories when I was little…"

"Ah, ghost stories," Lodestone replied, nodding his head slightly. "You are aware that most of those are made up, right?"

"Um… Yes, but… the ghost-types _are_ capable of doing the things from those stories, aren't they?" Frederick asked, tilting his head slightly. "Cursing young Pokémon who misbehave, eating our life forces, sneaking into our houses at night and rearranging our furniture while we sleep…"

"Yes and no," Lodestone responded, shaking his head. "Ghost-types tend to exaggerate their abilities for the sake of making the story more interesting."

"Why do they do that?" Frederick asked, looking a bit confused.

"Most of them just really like those types of stories," Lodestone responded, shrugging slightly.

"Well… I guess I just have a different taste in stories," Frederick replied, sighing. "Ugh, I bet there are Pokémon who would make fun of me right now, for being a coward who is still afraid of ghost stories and stuff…"

"You should stay away from Pokémon who say such things," Lodestone responded.

"Ah, well… I mostly hang out with Azure and the others these days," Frederick replied, smiling. "They're really nice, and don't hang out with me just because they want me to do something for them."

"Good for you," Lodestone responded, smiling and nodding his head.

"Yeah, I'm really glad I met them," Frederick replied, nodding his head. "Azure even thinks I can overcome my fear of ghost-types… I don't really want to let her down…"

"Well, if you really wish to overcome your fear, then there are a few things you can try to keep in mind," Lodestone said.

"I'm listening," Frederick replied, nodding his head.

"Frederick, you are part dragon type and part dark type," Lodestone said, glancing at the young Deino. "I know that some kinds of Pokémon might find certain species of either of those types intimidating."

"Oh?" Frederick responded, tilting his head slightly. "No one has ever called _me_ intimidating before…"

"Well, you're still young," Lodestone commented. "However, as I'm sure you are aware of, most fully evolved dragon-type Pokémon tend to be rather big."

"Hmm, I guess you have a point there," Frederick responded, nodding his head slightly. "A bigger Pokémon would probably be scarier than a smaller one."

"Indeed," Lodestone replied, nodding his head. "It's not uncommon for Pokémon of certain types to feel nervous around Pokémon of different types, especially among wild Pokémon. It is usually because those types embody an element that can be outright harmful to them."

"Huh," Frederick responded, looking thoughtful.

"However, as you have probably seen, Pokémon of very different types can also work very well together as a team," Lodestone said, smiling at Frederick.

"Well, yeah," Frederick responded, nodding his head slightly. "Most of the rescue teams I know of have Pokémon of different types on them."

"Exactly," Lodestone replied, nodding his head. "Pokémon of different types that work together as a team can cover each other's weaknesses and can each contribute something different to their team."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Frederick responded, nodding his head.

"So, you understand what I'm saying?" Lodestone asked, looking over at Frederick. "We all have our differences, our strengths and weaknesses, but in the end, we're all Pokémon."

"Uh… I guess," Frederick responded.

"Among the seventeen types of Pokémon, the ghost-type is rather unique," Lodestone explained, glancing around for signs of anyone else. "However, they are still just Pokémon."

"I see…" Frederick replied, nodding his head slightly. "Huh… When you put it like that, it seems kind of silly of me to be afraid of them…"

"Do you think you're a bit closer to overcoming your fears now?" Lodestone asked, glancing over at Frederick.

"… Yeah, I… I think so," Frederick responded, nodding his head again.

"Good," Lodestone replied, smiling. "Anyways, do you smell any of your friends around here?"

"No…" Frederick responded, sniffing the ground. "… I think I smell an apple nearby, though!"

Frederick quickly ran up to the apple lying on the floor and picked it up in his mouth, swallowing it whole.

"Ah, that feels much better!" Frederick said, smiling.

"… You should really chew your food," Lodestone commented.

"Oh, right…" Frederick responded sheepishly.

"Well… Let's just keep going," Lodestone said, looking around.

"Okay," Frederick responded, nodding affirmatively.

The two Pokémon continued their search for Blitz, Sera and Chiaki. Lodestone still wondered what exactly was going on, and where the ghost-types had taken the three of them. Frederick quietly resolved that he would finally overcome his fear of ghosts so that once he and his friends were reunited; he could help them fight the wild ghost-types and retrieve the crystal they had come for. He also thought about how impressed Azure would be when they got back from their mission, and kept this in mind in order to keep his motivation up as he and Lodestone continued their search.

* * *

Sera ran as fast as her four legs could carry her, before finally spotting a familiar blue figure curled up in the grass. Sera stopped for a moment to catch her breath, noticing that a bigger Pokémon was standing in front of Blitz, staring down at him with glowing golden eyes. The Luxray's ear twitched slightly and he turned his head to look in Sera's direction, seeming surprised to see the young Eevee approaching them. Sera simply glared at the Luxray for a moment, before running up to Blitz's side.

"Blitz, snap out of it!" Sera shouted, nudging him with her paws.

"I always knew…" Blitz whispered, not even looking up at Sera. "There's no way I can escape my destiny…"

"Why is she here…?" the Luxray said, looking around. "What is the meaning of this?"

"My apologies for interfering," the Dusclops' voice responded. "However, this was necessary in order for Miss Serafina to complete her test!"

"What?" the "Luxray" replied, looking around for the Dusclops' hiding spot. "We're not supposed to-"

"Just watch them," the Dusclops responded. "You'll understand."

"Blitz, listen to me!" Sera cried, shaking him with her paws. "That Luxray is just an illusion!"

"An illusion…?" Blitz responded, glancing over at Sera.

"Yes, an illusion!" Sera replied, nodding her head. "I mean, think about it! Isn't it awfully strange that your father would show up _here_ of all places?"

"… You… have a point," Blitz responded, thinking more about it. "We _were_ told that the ghost-types could create illusions to mislead travelers…"

"Yes! That's it!" Sera replied, nodding her head again.

"Still… it doesn't change anything…" Blitz said, sighing. "I still have to become the leader of the Luxray pride of Lightning Plateau someday…"

"Do you really have no choice?" Sera asked, her ears drooping down slightly.

"I wish I did," Blitz responded, looking away. "If only I could decide my own future… If only I could find something _I_ want to do on my own…"

"Blitz…" Sera said softly, gently petting him on the head with her paw. "This… this isn't fair! If this makes you so miserable, then… then…!"

"Sera, there's nothing you can do about it," Blitz responded, still looking away.

"I… I won't accept that!" Sera exclaimed, shaking her head. "I don't know how destiny works, but it isn't right for anyone to be forced into something they don't want to do for the rest of their lives!"

Blitz didn't say anything, but he did look over at Sera. Noticing that she had his attention, Sera smiled.

"Blitz, do you know what I've learned from our missions?" Sera asked, closing her eyes for a moment. "It's not just luck that has gotten us this far. We were able to retrieve the crystals through hard work, quick thinking, and most importantly, teamwork."

Sera looked at Blitz with a determined grin.

"Hey, you remember right?" Sera asked, glancing up at the trees surrounding them. "How we worked together with the Pansage, Pansear and Panpour tribes of Harmony Forest, taking down that magical plant? Or the time in Clarion Desert, where we worked together with Sting and Mirage's rescue teams to find the Desert Spirit so she could put a stop to the sandstorms blocking off part of the desert?"

Blitz blinked a few times, lifting his head slightly as he listened to Sera.

"Or when Azure joined us underwater and that underwater rescue team helped us retrieve the crystal after we helped save the prince and princess of the underwater kingdom? And don't forget how Megara's old friends helped us get the crystal from Mt. Caldera!" Sera exclaimed, smiling at Blitz. "Do you understand?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious that _teamwork_ is important when you're part of a rescue _team_ ," the "Luxray" commented, rolling its eyes.

"Don't be rude, Candelaria," the Dusclops responded, emerging from the shadows. "I can tell that Miss Serafina knows what she is doing, so for now let's just be quiet and watch."

Sera wasn't even paying attention to the other two Pokémon that were watching her and Blitz at this point, and they suspected that she had even forgotten that they were still there. Even so, the Dusclops gave Sera a thumbs-up to show his support as she continued making her point to Blitz.

"We may not be able to do anything about it on our own," Sera said, grinning. "But if we all work together like we always do, then I'm sure we can even change destiny!"

"Sera…" Blitz responded, staring wide-eyed at the Eevee.

"We'll find a way together, Blitz!" Sera said, smiling at him. "We'll definitely change your destiny!"

"Y-You… you really mean it?" Blitz asked, tears starting to well up in his eyes.

"Of course I do!" Sera responded, nodding her head. "I'm sure there are plenty of things you could use your leadership skills for other than leading the Luxray pride! We just need to figure out what you like best!"

"Sera…" Blitz replied, smiling as he wiped away a tear with one of his paws. "Yeah… it just might work…"

"It will _definitely_ work!" Sera responded, grinning.

"Sera… Thank you," Blitz said, getting back onto his feet.

"Oh, it was nothing, really," Sera responded, shaking her head. "I just think you're really amazing, and I wanted you to know that… that's all."

"You're pretty amazing yourself, you know," Blitz commented, smiling at Sera.

"Huh? Me?" Sera responded, blinking a few times. "I don't know about that… I'm always depending on you."

"To be honest, I often feel much stronger when I'm with you," Blitz explained, blushing slightly. "Even when I have my doubts, you insist that we can do it if we try!"

"Wait… so you're saying that actually _trust_ my judgment, even those times when I kept dragging us into potential danger?" Sera asked, seeming a bit surprised.

"Well, most of the time we _did_ succeed, didn't we?" Blitz responded, chuckling a little. "And besides, I… I really love your smile!"

"Blitz…" Sera replied, blushing slightly before bursting into laughter.

"Yeah, that's the one!" Blitz cheerfully responded, before joining her in laughter.

The Dusclops and the "Luxray" quietly watched the two friends cheerfully laughing together, the "Luxray" nodding and giving an approving smile before dissolving into its true form, a ghost-type Pokémon resembling a black lantern with yellow eyes and a purple flame burning inside of its glass-like head.

"Well, it may not have been how the test was supposed to go, but I'll admit, you were right about them," the Lampent admitted, as she touched one of her black arm-like extensions to the bottom of her glass-like face. "Their true strength comes from the bond between them."

"It's quite wonderful, isn't it?" the Dusclops commented, as Blitz and Sera gently touched their foreheads together. "They have certainly passed our test, as far as I'm concerned."

"I suppose," the Lampent responded, shrugging slightly.

Blitz and Sera eventually calmed down and approached the two ghost type Pokémon, both of them beaming with determination.

"I assume you are ready to move on?" the Dusclops asked.

"Yes, we're ready," Sera responded, nodding her head. "You know where the others are, right?"

"Lodestone and the Deino are searching the main part of the dungeon," the Lampent explained. "While I believe the Mienfoo is still being tested."

"Then take us to Chiaki," Blitz responded, grinning and exchanging glances with Sera. "We'll head back to the main dungeon together."

"As you wish," the Dusclops replied, looking over at the Lampent. "Candelaria, would you like to light the way for us?"

"Leave it me," Candelaria responded, nodding slightly.

Candelaria began floating away down one of the nearby paths, leaving a trail of floating purple flames behind her for the others to follow. The wisps of fire faded away one by one as Blitz and Sera went off in the direction Candelaria went, hoping to find Chiaki.

* * *

Chiaki's doppelganger quietly waited as Chiaki thought about everything the doppelganger had said. Chiaki felt that his doppelganger was correct in his statement that a part of him already knew the truth, but he still couldn't find it even as he focused on this thought. His doppelganger had asked him if he would accept the truth, should he find it. However, there was also the question of what would happen once his memories returned. Chiaki didn't want to leave Blitz, Sera and the others friends he had made in Fenix Town, yet deep down, he knew there was somewhere else he needed to be.

Chiaki didn't think he would be able to reach a proper conclusion about what was right to do without his memories. However, he eventually turned back to face his doppelganger, who stared at him with crossed arms.

"Well? What is your answer?" the doppelganger asked, watching expectantly.

"… I don't think I'm ready," Chiaki responded, shaking his head. "If I were, I would've been able to find the truth that is hidden inside me."

"So… That's your answer?" the doppelganger asked.

"I guess there are still some things I need to figure out," Chiaki responded, shrugging slightly with a sheepish smile. "Once I do, I will find the truth, and I _will_ accept it, no matter what it is."

"Hmm… And what if you are forced to face the truth before then?" the doppelganger asked.

"Uh… In that case, I'll… um…" Chiaki responded, rubbing the back of his head.

"We'll be there to support him, no matter what!" Sera called out.

"What?" the doppelganger exclaimed, turning in the direction the voice came from.

"Sera! Blitz!" Chiaki exclaimed, smiling. "You're okay!"

"Wait, what?" Chiaki's doppelganger said, blinking a few times. "What's going on?"

"They passed the test," Candelaria responded, hovering up to the doppelganger.

"Well, that's good," the "Mienfoo" replied, pointing at the two. "But why are they _here_?"

"Because we're a team, that's why!" Sera responded, grinning.

"Chiaki, it's okay to worry about the future," Blitz said, smiling at him. "If you need anyone to talk to about it, Sera and I are willing to listen."

"We'll do what we can to help!" Sera added, happily wagging her tail.

"Guys… Thank you!" Chiaki responded, smiling at his friends.

"Hey, this isn't how this is supposed to work!" the "Mienfoo" shouted, his disguise dissolving into purple smoke to reveal his true form, a ghost Pokémon with a body formed from purple gas, its two hands detached from the rest of his body.

"We know," Candelaria responded, looking over at the Haunter. "However, this is a rather special situation, is it not?"

"You do not need to worry," the Dusclops added, also looking over at the Haunter. "These Pokémon are definitely strong enough."

"Do you honestly think they can face Nereza?" the Haunter asked, looking skeptically at the other two ghost-types.

"Um… I don't fully understand the situation," Chiaki said, raising his paw. "But… we'll do what we can to help!"

"But…" the Haunter protested.

"Perhaps we should bring these three back to their other friend and their Marowak guide," the Dusclops suggested. "I think it is best to inform all five of them of our current situation."

"Agreed," Candelaria responded, nodding slightly.

"I don't quite understand this, but okay…" the Haunter replied, still seeming slightly confused as he and the other two ghost-types gathered around the rescue team.

* * *

Lodestone and Frederick had made it to the last floor of the main dungeon, and were perplexed over the fact that they still hadn't found the others anywhere. However, as they were heading towards the stairs, Lodestone suddenly noticed a blue flash of light from behind them. Lodestone turned around, and saw that the rescue team had reappeared along with the three ghost-type Pokémon. Blitz, Sera and Chiaki quickly ran over to Lodestone and Frederick upon realizing that they had returned to the main dungeon.

"You're back!" Frederick exclaimed, sniffing his teammates. "Where'd you all go?"

"Long story short, the ghosts wanted to test us," Sera explained, giggling a little.

"Is that how it is?" Lodestone asked, looking over at the ghost-types.

"I guess we owe you an explanation," the Dusclops responded, looking down at the ground.

"Yes, do explain," Lodestone replied, crossing his arms. "I hope there is a good reason for all of this."

The group decided to head up the stairs, and found themselves in an area splitting the mystery dungeon into two parts. The three ghost-types explained everything that had happened, and why they had found it necessary to test the rescue team members that Lodestone had escorted into the dungeon.

"… I see," Lodestone responded, nodding his head slightly. "So, defeating Nereza should bring her back to her senses?"

"If Erebos used the same spell on her that he used on Blaze, then yes," Blitz replied, nodding his head.

"Nereza is pretty strong," Candelaria commented. "But hopefully our combined power is enough to defeat her."

"We should come up with a strategy before we proceed," Blitz said, looking around at the ghost-types and Lodestone. "You guys have any ideas?"

"Well, she doesn't have many weaknesses, being a ghost- and dark-type," the Dusclops explained. "And she knows some attacks that can be rather devastating, so I hope you brought plenty of Reviver Seeds."

"You won't be able to attack her if she retreats into her keystone to avoid damage," the Haunter added, grinning. "However, the three of us can probably use our powers to make sure she can't do that."

"Speaking of which, make sure you don't damage the keystone," Candelaria said, crossing her arms. "It's necessary to keep her one-hundred-and-eight souls bound to this world, after all."

"I see," Blitz responded, nodding his head.

"Um… I have a question," Frederick said.

"What is it?" Lodestone asked, looking over at the young Deino.

"Do the souls that make up the Spiritomb ever disagree with each other?" Frederick asked, tilting his head slightly. "You see, I've heard that my evolved form has two heads, and sometimes… they fight and stuff. Sometimes they even argue over food, which is kind of strange since they still share the same stomach… Is it ever anything like that?"

The three ghost-types exchanged glances while Lodestone thoughtfully held his free hand to his chin.

"Um… Maybe?" the Haunter responded, blinking a few times.

"Let's keep it in mind!" Chiaki said, grinning. "What else can we do?"

"Hey, do we have any other items that might help?" Sera asked, looking over at Blitz.

Blitz opened the lid on the bag, and looked inside. The orbs were usually useless in the space in the deepest parts of a mystery dungeon, so there wasn't any real point in spending too much time looking over them. They had plenty of Reviver Seeds, but he wasn't sure if they had enough of other types of seeds that would be useful in this situation.

"… Do you know if Nereza has any IQ skills that would make her immune to sleep-inducing moves?" Blitz asked, looking up at the ghosts.

"… I don't think she has that one," the Haunter responded.

"Yeah, I don't think Spiritomb get that particular IQ skill," Candelaria added.

"Good to know," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

"Frederick and I won't as much damage from her ghost-type attacks," Sera said, glancing over at the Deino. "Of course, her dark-type attacks may still be a problem for me…"

"I think I can handle the dark-type attacks," Chiaki responded. "Although, most of _my_ attacks might not be very effective…"

"Do not worry about that," the Dusclops said, looking over at Chiaki. "There is a way to eliminate that problem."

"There is?" Chiaki responded, smiling. "What is it?"

"Just leave that to me, sir," the Dusclops responded, giving Chiaki a thumbs-up. "Anyways, perhaps we should continue our discussion as we head deeper into the forest? After all, I do believe Miss Serafina has to be home before sunset."

"Huh, really?" Candelaria responded, glancing upwards. "What time is it now?"

"I don't think anyone's listening, so it might be okay to keep moving…" the Haunter commented, glancing around.

"I still don't understand how you guys know so much about us," Sera said, looking around at the three ghost-types. "How'd you do that?"

"Ah, an excellent question," the Dusclops responded, looking over at Sera. "You see…"

* * *

In the deepest part of Nightmirror Forest, purple wisps of smoke were floating above the odd keystone lying in the grass. More purple smoke flowed out from the cracks in the stone, as the group consisting of the rescue team, Lodestone and the three ghost-types entered the area. Two glowing green eyes and a mouth were visible in the center of the swirling purple mass, along with several green orbs floating in circles around the Spiritomb's face.

"So that's Nereza…" Chiaki muttered, looking over at her.

"My, what a rare sight," Nereza said, her voice sounding like multiple voices blending together, with one voice just barely more prominent than the rest. "It's not often Pokémon from outside the forest dare to enter this mystery dungeon…"

"I-I'm not scared at all…" Frederick muttered, shivering a little at the sound of Nereza's voice.

"Lady Nereza, this rescue team has come to help you!" the Dusclops exclaimed. "They will free you from the spell!"

"Oh, will they?" Nereza responded, smirking as she looked over at the rescue team. "Do I _look_ like I need help? Besides, I know what you're _really_ after!"

"What we're really after…?" Blitz inquired. "Do you mean… the crystal…?"

"Exactly," Nereza responded, giggling. "But you can't have it! It's _mine_ now!"

"So she does know where it is!" Chiaki exclaimed, smiling.

"Don't let your guard down," Lodestone said, glancing over at Chiaki.

Nereza snickered and sank into the shadows in the ground, disappearing from sight. The other eight Pokémon looked around, and Blitz caught a glimpse of a shadow moving towards the Dusclops.

"Hey, watch out!" Blitz called out, and the Dusclops turned around in time to see Nereza emerging from the shadows just before striking him by shaping part of her own ghostly form into a whip.

"Reginald!" Candelaria exclaimed, looking over at the Dusclops. "Are you okay!?"

"Worry not," the Dusclops responded, rubbing the spot where Nereza's Shadow Sneak attack hit as his single eye began to glow red. "I can take a hit or two, after all."

As Nereza prepared to strike once more, Blitz suddenly made his fur light up, momentarily blinding the Spiritomb and allowing Reginald to shine a peculiar light from his eye at her.

"Do it now, Chiaki!" Blitz shouted, looking over at the Mienfoo.

Chiaki nodded and quickly ran up to Nereza, managing to strike her with a Fake Out attack without much difficulty.

"Wow, it really did work!" Chiaki exclaimed, smiling. "Thanks, Reginald!"

"No problem," Reginald responded, nodding slightly. "My Foresight attack will allow the use of normal and fighting type attacks at their full power against a ghostly opponent!"

"Meaning your fighting-type attacks will now be super effective!" Blitz said, grinning.

"S-Sounds like we off to a good start…" Frederick commented, with a nervous chuckle.

"You got that right!" Sera responded, nodding her head.

The Haunter had floated over to Nereza, and stared down at her with his eyes shining with a golden glow.

"… And _now_ , she won't be able to retreat into her keystone to avoid our attacks!" the Haunter announced, looking over at the others.

"Good, our preparations are complete," Lodestone said, nodding his head.

"Hahahaha…" Nereza's many voices laughed in unison. "Quite amusing… but now I think it is time for the _real_ battle to begin."

Nereza began laughing maniacally as a powerful Omnious Wind began blowing through the entire room, doing massive damage to the three ghost types. Blitz, Chiaki and Lodestone also found themselves taking a lot of damage from the attack, while Sera and Frederick were able to get away with less damage thanks to their type resistance.

"Yes, yes… I feel the power!" Nereza exclaimed, cackling madly as she gained a power boost from her attack.

"Not good…" Lodestone commented, wincing. "Her Ominous Wind attack is one of her most devastating attacks..."

"Hurry, you have to use Disable to stop her attack!" Sera shouted at Reginald.

However, before any of the three ghosts had the chance to do anything about it, another Ominous Wind began to blow through the room. This time, it was even stronger, and Sera watched in horror as all three ghosts, along with Blitz and Chiaki collapsed to the ground. Only she, Frederick and Lodestone were barely able to hold on.

"Guys…!" Sera exclaimed, gasping.

"Ah, what do we do…?" Frederick said, shaking a bit.

"D-Don't panic…" Lodestone said, using his bone club to support himself.

"Hahahahahahaha!" Nereza laughed, looking around at her opponents. "You're about one-hundred-and-eight years too early to be facing me!"

"Don't underestimate the power of our teamwork…" Sera said, glaring at Nereza.

"Oh?" Nereza responded, smirking as she looked over at Sera. "You really think that'll be enough to-"

Before Nereza had the chance to finish her sentence, a purple fire ball suddenly hit her in the face.

"Nice shot, Frederick!" Sera said, grinning as she ran towards Blitz.

"T-Thanks, Sera…" Frederick responded, smiling and nodding his head slightly.

Nereza prepared to fire a Dark Pulse attack at Sera, only to spot Lodestone's bone club flying towards her. She quickly slipped into the shadows and dodged the attack, and Lodestone caught the bone as it returned to him like a boomerang. This allowed Sera to reach Blitz, and the bag containing the items they had brought with them. She quickly opened the lid, and grabbed a few Reviver Seeds with her mouth. She immediately gave one of them to Blitz, who soon opened his eyes and looked up at Sera.

"… Thank you, Sera," Blitz said, smiling up at Sera.

Sera just smiled back and was about to go help the others, when a certain Spiritomb suddenly emerged from the shadows next to her and rammed into her. Sera was knocked onto her side, and the Reviver Seeds fell onto the ground. Nereza then turned to Blitz, who glared back at her. Nereza smirked and slipped back into the shadows, as Blitz quickly moved over to Sera and picked up the Reviver Seeds she had dropped. Blitz managed to give one of the seeds to Sera, before jumping out of the way of another one of Nereza's attacks.

"Blitz…?" Sera muttered, looking over at Blitz as she regained consciousness.

"Don't worry, I've got this," Blitz responded, keeping his focus on Nereza.

"Are you going to try to dazzle me with your glowing fur again?" Nereza asked, smirking.

"Not exactly what I had in mind," Blitz responded, shaking his head while kicking the Reviver Seeds back over to Sera.

Sera quickly picked the Reviver Seeds back up, and began running towards Chiaki. Nereza quickly slid back into the shadows and began chasing after Sera once more. Blitz quickly followed after the moving shadow. Lodestone was standing prepared to use another Bonemerang attack, while Frederick was unsure of how he could be of more help.

 _"She sure is fast…"_ Frederick thought to himself, trying to listen to what was happening in the area. _"I guess the others are trying to slow her down, but it's still not enough…"_

As Sera used one of the Reviver Seeds on Chiaki, Nereza once more emerged from the shadows, ready to strike. Just before she could hit Sera with another Feint Attack, Chiaki suddenly got up and pulled her out of the way. Blitz took the opportunity to hit Nereza with a Spark attack, knocking Nereza's keystone over on its side. The three exchanged smiles and glances, before Sera and Chiaki ran off to help the other three ghost-types, while Nereza managed to get her keystone back into its upright position and turned to glare at Blitz.

"You do realize that even if you keep using those items, I'll just use my Ominous Wind to take you all down, don't you?" Nereza asked, smirking as she faced Blitz.

"Instead of focusing your energy on fighting us, why not try to put your energy into breaking Erebos' spell instead?" Blitz responded, staring back at Nereza. "If you're as strong as you claim, then I'm sure you can do it!"

"You're just trying to distract me in order to take the crystal, aren't you?" Nereza replied.

Blitz was about to respond, when another purple fire ball suddenly struck Nereza. The annoyed Spiritomb turned to look at Frederick, who had fired another Dragon Rage attack while she was talking.

"Will you stop doing that!?" Nereza shouted, glaring at Frederick.

"S-Sorry…" Frederick responded, shaking his head. "No, wait… I'm _not_ sorry! Because… we're in the middle of a battle, and I have to attack while I still know where you are!"

"Hmph, aren't you a dragon?" Nereza asked, and Blitz could've sworn that Nereza's blend of voices sounded different just then. "Wait, why would I even need to ask? Of course you're a dragon."

"He's part dark-type too!" Chiaki added, while helping Candelaria.

"I don't care," Nereza responded, glancing around at the others. "I don't care at all!"

Nereza then went back into the shadows, and started moving towards the three revived ghost-types. In the meantime, Blitz walked up to Lodestone and gave him an Oran berry to restore his energy.

"Did you notice that too?" Blitz asked.

"Yes, I did," Lodestone responded, nodding his head.

"What is it?" Frederick asked, walking up to Blitz and Lodestone. "What happened?"

"We're not entirely sure, but we think that the effects of Erebos' spell may be starting to weaken," Lodestone responded.

"Oh, that's good…" Frederick responded, slowly nodding his head.

Chiaki had managed to hit Nereza with a forceful strike with his paw, pushing her backwards. Candelaria conjured up several Will-o-Wisps the same purple color as the purple flame burning inside her head, having them fly towards Nereza and burning her.

"Well done!" the Haunter said, as he charged up a Shadow Ball between his hands.

"Lady Nereza, I apologize for this," Reginald said, as his fist starting crackling with electricity.

Nereza glanced back-and-forth between the two ghost-types currently preparing attacks, before suddenly launching herself at the Haunter. The Haunter barely managed to dodge the attack, but ended up accidentally firing his Shadow Ball attack at a random tree in the process. Nereza then allowed Reginald to hit her with his Thunder Punch attack, before pushing him backwards with a Dark Pulse attack.

"You… won't take… the crystal!" Nereza said, looking somewhat tired.

"Oh, good, it looks like she's finally starting to run out of energy," Sera commented, sighing in relief.

"The battle's not over yet," Lodestone said, looking over at Sera. "Don't let your guard down just yet!"

"I'll just… knock you all out… with my Ominous Wind attack!" Nereza said, giggling. "That will teach you not to mess with me!"

"That _is_ a strong attack," Frederick commented, tilting his head slightly. "But why didn't you just use it to finish us off earlier, you know, before Sera revived everybody?"

"Huh…?" Nereza responded, blinking a few times. "Well, I thought I'd give you a chance to… No, I just thought it'd be too simple that way. It wouldn't be as satisfying… I guess?"

Nereza's voice seemed different once again, and as Blitz was charging up electricity to increase his defense against special attacks in case Nereza did unleash the Ominous Wind once more, he suddenly had an idea.

"Why do you even want to stop us from getting the crystal?" Blitz asked, sparks of electricity rippling through his fur as he looked over at her. "What do you need it for?"

"Well… I don't _need_ it for anything," Nereza responded, looking away from Blitz. "I just don't want _you_ to have it."

Oddly enough, Nereza wasn't attacking anymore. She just stood there, some of the green orbs in her purple body flashing in strange patterns.

"Well… It seems the majority doesn't want to fight anymore…" Nereza said, before looking around at the others. "You guys may want to hurry up and attack before I change my mind!"

 _"…! She's… going to let us win?"_ Blitz thought, staring wide-eyed at Nereza.

"You heard her!" Lodestone said, preparing to throw his bone club once more. "Let's finish this and break the spell!"

The other Pokémon nodded in agreement, and began preparing their attacks. As Lodestone threw the bone, Nereza suddenly opened her eyes and dodged the attack. She also moved out of the way of Blitz's Spark attack, but in the process ended up landing right in the path of Frederick's Dragon Breath attack. Chiaki followed up with another Force Palm attack, knocking her keystone over on its side again.

"Ugh… I guess I'm a bit out of practice…" Nereza said, chuckling. "That was a good work-out, though…"

Nereza's ghostly form dissolved back into purple smoke and went back into the keystone. After a few seconds, Chiaki walked up and poked the keystone a few times with his paw.

"We won," Lodestone said, smiling. "The spell should be broken completely now, yes?"

"Let's find out," Blitz responded, walking up to Nereza.

Blitz quickly took out one of the remaining Reviver Seeds from his bag, and looked over the keystone. After a few moments of examining the keystone, Blitz inserted the Reviver Seed into the crack resembling a mouth on the stone. They then waited a few seconds, before the cracks in the keystone briefly flashed purple, and Nereza's ghostly form once again emerged from the cracks in the stone.

"Ah, I can't believe it took me this long to shake off the effects of that spell!" Nereza exclaimed, looking rather annoyed. "I thought I was better than that…"

"Lady Nereza, are you all right?" Reginald asked.

"… I am now," Nereza responded, smiling at the ghost-types. "Thanks for helping me out, guys!"

"No problem," Reginald replied, bowing slightly. "We are just glad you're okay."

"That's nice," Nereza responded, looking thoughtful for a moment. "… I guess I should go apologize to the other ghost-types I randomly attacked before when the spell was making me guard that crystal."

"Ah, speaking of which, we-" Blitz said, before Nereza interrupted him.

"Yes, yes, I know," Nereza responded. "Just wait a moment."

Nereza then disappeared into the shadows. After waiting a few moments, Nereza emerged from behind some trees, dropping a purple crystal onto the grass.

"Here is what you came for," Nereza said, grinning. "Take it somewhere Erebos can't find it!"

"We will," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "Thank you."

"Ah, there's no need to thank me," Nereza replied, before noticing a certain Deino walking up to her. "… Is something the matter?"

"Um… Well... This might sound strange, since I'm part dark-type…" Frederick said, taking a deep breath. "But… I kind of had this fear of ghost-types…"

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Nereza responded, grinning. "We ghost-types don't mind if other types of Pokémon are scared of us!"

"Uh… That's nice," Frederick replied, smiling sheepishly. "But you see, I… I think I might be starting to overcome that fear… I mean…"

"Good for you!" Nereza said, still smiling. "If I had hands, I'd start up a round of applause for you!"

"Ah, well… that's not necessary," Frederick responded, shaking his head.

"If you say so," Nereza replied. "Well, then, I guess I've got some explaining to do for some of the other ghost-types in this forest..."

"We'll come with you!" Candelaria said.

And so, Nereza and the other three ghost-types went off to look for the ones that Nereza had attacked while under the influence of the spell, leaving the rescue team and Lodestone behind.

"… They're not bad Pokémon," Frederick said, smiling and shaking his head. "They're not bad at all."

"You did really well today, Frederick," Blitz commented, smiling at the Deino.

"I think we're all a little stronger and a little braver now," Sera said, smiling and wagging her tail.

"I've only known you all for a few hours, but I must say I agree," Lodestone commented, smiling proudly at the rescue team. "And I believe you will get even stronger in the future."

"Thanks, Lodestone," Blitz said, as Chiaki picked up and examined the purple crystal. "We'll be heading back to Fenix Town now."

"Of course," Lodestone responded, nodding his head. "I'll be heading back home as well."

"Maybe… we'll meet again someday?" Frederick asked.

"Perhaps," Lodestone replied, shrugging slightly. "Well, good luck with the rest of your mission. I hope you and the other rescue teams of Fenix Town are able to find the remaining crystals."

Lodestone then began to walk away, while Blitz held up the rescue team badge. In a flash of golden light, he and his three teammates were transported out of the mystery dungeon, having finally retrieved another crystal.

* * *

Upon returning to Fenix Town, the rescue team immediately headed for Stella's house to drop off the crystal they had retrieved. As they approached the stone building, they suddenly spotted a certain Marill pacing back-and-forth in front of the front door of the house. The moment she saw the four of them approaching, she immediately ran over to Frederick with a huge grin on her face and hugged the Deino's face against her body.

"You're back!" Azure exclaimed, letting go of Frederick after a few seconds. "I'm _so_ sorry about the way I acted earlier! I only wanted you to overcome your fears so you could feel more confident!"

"It's okay," Frederick responded, smiling at Azure. "I know you meant well."

"So, how did it go?" Azure asked, looking at Frederick with apprehension. "Were you able to overcome your fear?"

"Yeah… I think so!" Frederick replied, nodding his head.

"Really?" Azure asked, grinning and pulling Frederick in for another hug. "That's great! I knew you could do it!"

"Aw, thanks for believing in me, Azure!" Frederick responded, smiling.

The other three rescue team members exchanged smiles and glances, before stepping inside the stone building to give the purple crystal to Stella. Azure and Frederick decided to head over to the café, Azure listening intently as Frederick began telling her about how the mission in Nightmirror Forest went.

It had been a long day, although it certainly wasn't an uneventful for one for Blitz and his teammates. They had made some new friends, recovered another crystal, and most importantly, their bonds were stronger than ever.

* * *

**End of Chapter 46**


	47. What reason does he have for anything he does?

* * *

Chiaki was lying awake in bed, thinking about the events of the day. Blitz and Sera both seemed very happy. Frederick seemed to have overcome his fear of ghosts. Nereza had been freed from Erebos' spell. Another crystal had been found and retrieved, leaving only three more to find. They even made some new friends in the process. Chiaki felt as if he should've been happy about all of this, but something was still bothering him about what happened in Nightmirror Forest. He had been told that a part of him already knew the truth about who he really was. Did that Haunter know something about him that he didn't know, or was he just making a guess?

Blitz and Sera had told him about their own similar experiences in the forest, so apparently the ghost-types did have a way of finding out everything they needed to know about those who entered the mystery dungeon. However, thinking about it more, Chiaki was starting to realize that he was different from Blitz and Sera. They knew exactly who they were. Without any memories, Chiaki couldn't confirm if the Haunter was telling the truth. And because they had been so busy trying to help Nereza and get the crystal back, it hadn't occurred to him to try asking about it either.

Chiaki thought back to what he had told the Haunter. He had said that he would accept the truth, no matter what it was. The Haunter seemed skeptical of this claim, but before Chiaki could really think more about it, Sera and Blitz had shown up. He had just been glad to see that his friends were okay, and was reassured by their words that things would be okay, but…

 _"If they hadn't shown up when they did, what would I have done…?"_ Chiaki thought to himself, sighing.

He looked over at Blitz, who was currently asleep and looking quite content. Chiaki decided not to wake him up. Chiaki crawled out of bed, and went outside. He looked up to see the stars twinkling in the night sky. He wondered if Stella and Bow were still awake, watching the stars in hopes of getting a glimpse of where the remaining crystals were.

"It sure is amazing how much the stars know…" Chiaki whispered, looking up at the sky.

He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind. As he opened his eyes again, he spotted a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

"Elina?" Chiaki said, turning to face the young Elgyem.

Elina was just standing there, staring at him. Her fingers occasionally gave off a faint glow, flashing in random patterns.

 _"… You must be wondering why I haven't told you anything,"_ Elina said via telepathy, briefly looking away from Chiaki. _"Yet, it occurs to me that you don't seem to have been trying to seek me out either… Why is that?"_

Elina turned back to Chiaki, watching him as she awaited a response. Chiaki just stood there, looking as if he was trying to think of something to say, but just couldn't find an answer. Elina gave a quiet sigh and closed her eyes.

 _"… I understand,"_ Elina responded, nodding her head. _"You have accepted your identity as Chiaki the Mienfoo. You have grown close to some of the Pokémon of this town… I can't blame you. The Pokémon here are quite nice. Part of me wishes I could just stay here, but… I know that's not possible for either of us."_

"Elina…" Chiaki uttered, shuddering as he remembered another thing the Haunter had said to him. _"Deep down, you know there's somewhere else you **should** be, don't you?"_

 _"In order to protect you, I wanted to keep the truth to myself for as long as possible,"_ Elina explained, her hand shaking. _"But… maybe if I had spoken up sooner…"_

Elina shook her head, her fingers flashing brightly for a few moments.

 _"No, that wouldn't have been any better…"_ Elina said via telepathy, staring at the glowing fingers on her own hand. _"No matter what I did… I would've just ended up hurting you anyway…"_

"… What do you mean?" Chiaki asked, taking a step towards Elina. "Protecting me from what?"

 _"… Chiaki, when all of this is over, I'll be taking you back home,"_ Elina responded, looking at Chiaki for a moment. _"Until then, I want you to enjoy the time you have left. Explore as many places with your friends as you can, make new experiences… Do this for me, okay?"_

Chiaki blinked a few times, before nodding his head.

"I'll try," Chiaki said, giving a small smile.

Elina nodded her head in response, before floating back towards the center of town. Chiaki waved good-bye as she disappeared from sight, quietly wondering just where the young Elgyem slept at night. Of course, that wasn't the only question on his mind.

"Home…" Chiaki muttered, absentmindedly looking up at the sky once more. "The place where Elina and I live… I wonder where that is…"

 _"Deep down, you know there's somewhere else you should be!_ " Chiaki sighed as these words echoed through his head once more. _"Part of you already knows the truth!"_

Chiaki groaned and clutched his head as the voices echoing in his head were suddenly drowned out by the sound of pouring rain. He closed his eyes, envisioning the Meridian Forest. As he looked up, he could just barely make out a familiar structure in the distance.

"That is…" Chiaki muttered, stumbling a bit.

Chiaki closed his eyes as his vision began to blur, and when he opened them again, he found that he was back in front of Blitz's house. He blinked a few times, before looking around at his surroundings. His head still hurt.

"Ugh… What just happened?" Chiaki said, rubbing his forehead.

He glanced around once more, before deciding that it was best to head back inside and try to get some sleep. He lay back down in his bed, closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind of all the questions that were floating about inside his head…

* * *

Sera was smiling and humming to herself as she headed towards the town plaza, excited for what today would bring. A few rescue teams were still making preparations for whatever missions awaited them, some of them discussing recent events. From what Sera could tell from parts of the conversations she happened to overhear as she walked by, it seemed that distortions were spreading to more areas. However, there was also the news of another crystal having been retrieved, which seemed to be helping the various Pokémon keep their hopes up.

Sera's ears perked up as she noticed Blitz and Chiaki entering the town plaza, and she quickly ran over to greet her two friends.

"Hey guys!" Sera said, grinning.

"Oh, hey there, Sera," Blitz responded, smiling back at Sera.

"Good morning…" Chiaki said, yawning.

"You look tired," Sera commented, tilting her head slightly. "Didn't you get enough sleep last night, or something?"

"I guess not…" Chiaki responded, shrugging slightly.

"Well, we'll be stopping by the café anyways to pick up Azure and Frederick," Blitz said, looking over at Chiaki. "Maybe we can ask River for something that'll help? Something made with Chesto berries should work."

"Sounds good to me," Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

As the three of them walked over to the café, Chiaki briefly found himself wondering if his encounter with Elina last night had really happened, or if it was all just a dream. In his tired state, it was difficult to make sense of things. Maybe he'd be able to think clearer once he was a little more awake. When they entered the café, they were greeted by Azure and Frederick.

"Hey guys!" Azure said, grinning. "You finally showed up, huh?"

"Always ready for another mission, aren't you?" Sera commented, chuckling.

"Of course," Azure responded, nodding.

"I'm ready for some missions too," Frederick said. "At least, I think I am!"

"Well, I think Chiaki needs something to help him wake up before we decide on who will be going on today's missions," Blitz explained, glancing over at the somewhat tired-looking Mienfoo.

"Ah, say no more!" Azure responded, winking to Blitz before running up to the counter to ask her mother to mix something together real quick.

The group waited for a few minutes, before Azure returned carrying a wooden teacup in her hands.

"Here you go!" Azure said, handing it over to Chiaki. "This Chesto berry tea ought to help!"

"Thanks, Azure," Chiaki responded, smiling at the young Marill.

Chiaki took a sip of the hot beverage, and thought back to the vision he had. He had lost his memories on the very same night that Erebos stole the crystals from Axis Tower, hadn't he? He was pretty sure that had to be the case. Axis Tower also had to be the home Elina spoke of. However, he still couldn't figure out just what exactly happened to him that night…

 _"Elina said she wanted to protect me… Was it Erebos she wanted to protect me from?"_ Chiaki quietly wondered to himself, as he took another sip of his tea. _"Come to think of it, back when we went to rescue Bow, Elina seemed very afraid and tried to talk me out of going to where Bow was… It must've been because Erebos was there…"_

Chiaki finished his drink, setting the teacup down on a nearby wooden table.

"All right, you ready to go now?" Azure asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Chiaki responded, wiping his mouth with his arm.

"Great!" Azure replied, grinning. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

The group left the café, and headed up to the rescue team HQ. On the way, Chiaki continued his train of thought.

 _"Erebos… Did he hurt Elina too?"_ Chiaki wondered, his eyes narrowing slightly. _"I can't forgive that…"_

Chiaki wasn't sure how many Pokémon that Erebos had harmed in some way, but the exact number didn't really matter. What really mattered was stopping him from hurting anyone else.

 _"Who knows what he is doing right now…"_ Chiaki thought, sighing. _"I hope Samara is able to do something about him soon… Until then, I should just do what I can."_

At the rescue team HQ, Blitz and his friends began looking at the missions that were posted on the bulletin boards. After picking out a few, they had to decide which four out of the five of them would be going on this mission.

"You got to go yesterday, so today is my turn, right?" Azure said, looking over at Frederick.

"Oh, um… I guess so," Frederick responded, nodding his head. "Plus, I think you've got a type advantage against the Pokémon in this mystery dungeon, so it makes sense to have you go."

"Yay!" Azure replied, hugging Frederick's face. "Thanks buddy!"

"You're welcome," Frederick responded, smiling at Azure.

"Okay then, let's go!" Blitz said, bringing his teammates into Kala's room.

"Don't drink your hair…" Kala muttered in her sleep, as Blitz gently shook her shoulder in order to wake her up.

Chiaki took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind so he could focus on the mission. After all, he couldn't let his worries interfere with his work. There were Pokémon out there who needed help, and it was the rescue teams' duty to help them.

* * *

The ribbon-like feelers on Bow's body shone as Bow fired a multicolored beam of light from her eyes to knock down the targets Hercules had set up. As she took down the last target with her Psybeam attack, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as the glow of her feelers subsided. She then opened her eyes again and looked over at her mother, who had been watching her training session.

"Well done, Bow," Stella said, smiling at her daughter.

"Thanks," Bow responded, smiling back.

It had been Bow's idea to head to the dojo. Because of everything that had happened lately, it had been a while since she last had a chance to really work on her battle skills. Wisdom and kindness were good attributes for a town oracle, but in case they needed to fight in order to protect their loved ones, a town oracle also needed to be strong. And Bow wanted to become the best town oracle she could possibly become.

"Hmm… Not bad," Hercules commented, as the Hoothoot that had been taking the time during Bow's training session told him how long she had taken.

"I think I can do even better!" Bow shouted, looking over at Hercules with a confident smirk.

"So, you want to give it another go?" Hercules asked, smiling at Bow.

"Yep!" Bow responded, nodding her head. "I'll try to get it done even faster this time!"

"All right," Hercules replied, waving to Lotus. "Lotus? Can you set the targets up again real quick?"

"No problem," the Meditite responded, nodding her head slightly.

Lotus' eyes briefly shined, as she telekinetically moved the targets back into position. Bow took a deep breath, and waited for Hercules to give her the signal to start.

* * *

Mirage and her teammates were making their way through a mystery dungeon in a cave, although distortions in the area were making things much more difficult for them. Occasionally while exploring the area, they would suddenly be warped to a different section within the current room they were in without warning. The number of wild Pokémon that kept attacking them, particularly the large number of Zubat and Golbat that kept swooping down from out of nowhere didn't help either. Even if it didn't take too long to defeat these wild Pokémon with their attacks, it didn't make it any less frustrating for the rescue team.

"Okay… We _finally_ made it to the floor specified in the mission description!" Mirage exclaimed, taking a deep breath. "Now, let's find that item and get out of here!"

"Agreed," Megara responded, nodding her head. "I can't take much more of this…"

"The mushroom feels dizzy from all the random teleporting," Cordyceps stated.

"I don't think I've seen any other mystery dungeons this badly affected by the distortions so far," Mirage commented, rubbing her head. "Maybe it'd be best to just close this area off until the crisis is resolved…"

"I don't know how well that'd work," Megara responded, looking around at their current surroundings. "I mean, you've seen some of the missions we've taken, right? Some grass-type wandering off into an area full of poison types, or a fire-type somehow ending up stranded in a mystery dungeon that is mostly water… Some of the Pokémon we have to rescue don't seem particularly bright, and even if they closed the area off, some of them would probably still find a way to get in there…"

"Oh come on, Meg," Mirage replied, looking over at the Magmar. "Even if some of them make admittedly questionable choices that get them into these situations, I'm sure they're at least smart enough to stay out of mystery dungeons if we close off the entire area around it. Besides, this particular mystery dungeon isn't necessary to cross in order to get anywhere special, and I don't know of anything else that would make Pokémon feel the need to go through here."

"I suppose," Megara responded, shrugging her shoulders. "Although, that does raise the question of what we'll do when mystery dungeons containing important resources or mystery dungeons that are the only known routes to certain locations become affected this badly…"

"Well… Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Mirage replied, leading the group down one of the paths. "I mean, over half of the crystals have been retrieved now, so hopefully the rest are found before this all escalates any further, right?"

"The mushroom hopes so," Cordyceps responded, following behind Mirage.

"I see it!" Megara exclaimed, running up to and picking up a scarf from the floor, holding it up triumphantly.

"Oh, good," Mirage said, sighing in relief. "Mission's over, we can leave now."

"All this trouble for a scarf…" Megara commented, hugging the scarf.

"The mushroom thinks we should inform someone about the state of this mystery dungeon when we get back," Cordyceps said, looking up at Mirage.

"Agreed," Mirage responded, holding up the rescue team badge. "Let's get back to the rescue team HQ, guys!"

In a flash of golden light from the badge, the trio was teleported out of the mystery dungeon.

* * *

In Nectar Woods, a few trees were seemingly flickering in and out of existence. Various bug-types living in the forest had been moving away from the sections of the woods affected by the distortions. Queen Miele had allowed a few of them to seek shelter in the tree with her Combee, as long as they didn't help themselves to too much of the honey that the Combee produced. At the moment, Sting and his teammates had come over to check on the current status of the forest, and Queen Miele was explaining the situation.

"I see," Sting said, nodding his head slightly. "At least the honey comb is unaffected for now."

"I must try my best to reassure my subjects that everything will be okay," Miele said, looking over at Sting. "You say that five of the crystals have been found so far?"

"Yes, that is correct," Sting responded, nodding his head. "We only need to find the remaining three, and then we can return them to Axis Tower. Once they're back to where they belong, things will return to normal."

"That is good to hear," Miele replied.

"Well, at least it'll fix the distortions," Melody said, sighing. "But there's also that evil spirit, Erebos, to worry about…"

"Yeah, who knows what that guy is up to?" Frosty added.

"I will let everyone know, and tell them to keep an eye out for anything suspicious," Queen Miele responded, holding a hand to her chest.

"Thank you, Miele," Sting replied. "Although, I doubt Erebos would have any reason to come here…"

"What reason does he have for _anything_ he does?" Melody asked, looking over at Sting. "If he decided to burn down the forest on a whim or something, he'd probably do it!"

"Ah, right…" Sting responded, remembering Stella's story of the past.

"Don't worry about me," Miele said, placing her hand on Sting's upper arm. "I will do what I can to help protect this forest. In the meantime, you and your teammates must continue doing what you can do."

"… Yes, of course," Sting responded, nodding his head. "We'll keep working hard. You can count on that."

"I know you will," Miele replied, looking at Sting fondly. "I'll keep cheering you on from here."

"Ah, thanks…" Sting responded, rubbing the back of his head with the side of one arm stinger.

Frosty and Melody exchanged glances, both smirking as if seemingly on the same wavelength. Sting chose not to comment on what they might've been thinking at the moment.

"Thanks for taking the time to come see me," Miele said. "And it was nice to finally meet your teammates."

"Well, I did say I'd bring them along so you could meet them next time I came here, didn't I?" Sting responded.

"It was nice meeting you too, your majesty!" Frosty said, grinning.

"We should all meet up again sometime!" Melody added, also smiling. "I'd like to know more about what Sting was like when he was younger!"

"Can't you just ask him yourself?" Miele asked, tilting her head slightly.

"There isn't really that much to tell," Sting responded, twiddling his arm stingers.

"Not that much to tell?" Melody inquired. "I don't believe that."

"Well, um… Okay, if you really want to know, then… I guess I can tell you sometime," Sting responded. "Anyways… I suppose it's time to head back to town now."

"Good-bye for now, Sting," Miele said, waving her hand. "I wish you all luck on your missions!"

The three of them made their way back outside, the two Beedrill guards at the entrance giving the rescue team a nod of acknowledgement as they walked past. Sting briefly glanced back at the large tree, before reaching for the rescue team badge. Moving the tip of his arm stinger through a small hole in one of the wing-decorations on the badge, he lifted the badge up and activated its magic.

* * *

Frederick was relaxing under a tree, waiting for Blitz and the others to return from their missions. He had heard that other rescue teams had returned from their missions, and had heard them talk about the events of their mission as they walked by, presumably either heading home or to the café. After a while, he heard someone walking through the grass, moving towards him before stopping. Frederick lifted his head slightly, sniffing the air to try to determine the identity of the Pokémon now standing next to him.

"Hmm… Interesting," the other Pokémon said.

It didn't seem like they were addressing Frederick, but the voice certainly seemed familiar. Frederick was pretty sure it was a member of one of the other rescue teams around town, but which one?

"Trees can grow quite tall, can't they?" the other Pokémon commented, and Frederick thought he could hear something lightly tapping the tree bark. "As for me, it seems I've remained relatively the same size since evolving…"

"Trees…?" Frederick said, tilting his head slightly. "Oh, right… There's this guy who likes to talk about trees… What was his name again…?"

Arbolith the Sudowoodo kept staring up at the tree for a few moments, before glancing over at Frederick.

"Are you talking about me?" Arbolith asked.

"… Yeah, I think so," Frederick responded, nodding his head.

"Oh," Arbolith replied, resuming staring at the tree. "… Trees are beautiful, aren't they?"

"I wouldn't know," Frederick responded. "I don't actually know what they look like."

"Hmm… Interesting," Arbolith replied, leaning the upper half of his body against the tree.

As Arbolith kept leaning against the tree while gently stroking the bark of the tree with his green orb-like "fingers", Frederick found himself at a loss of what to talk about. Blitz and the others still hadn't shown up yet, which brought to mind another question.

"Hey, where are your teammates?" Frederick asked, sniffing the air. "You're on a rescue team, right?"

"Yes, you are correct," Arbolith responded, moving away from the tree.

"Are your teammates nearby?" Frederick asked.

"Probably," Arbolith responded, swaying from side to side. "They should be around here somewhere."

"Ah, okay," Frederick replied.

Things were quiet for a while, aside from Arbolith reaching out and stroking the tree once more.

"I don't really like water," Arbolith said, staring up at the tree. "Trees however, do like water. I'm sure that is why they are so much taller than me."

"… That makes sense," Frederick responded, after thinking it over for a few moments.

"What about rocks?" Arbolith asked, swaying to the side. "Do rocks like water?"

"… I really don't know," Frederick responded, shaking his head. "Rocks can't talk, so…"

"Yes, that is true," Arbolith replied, nodding slightly. "Unless they are rock-type Pokémon… Like me. I talk a lot."

"That you do," Frederick responded, nodding his head.

Things were quiet for a bit, before Arbolith spoke up again.

"I have seen rocks near lakes, which lie submerged in water or has waves washing over them regularly," Arbolith said. "They don't seem to mind it… If only I was as brave as those rocks."

"Um… My friend Azure says you can accomplish anything if you just have enough confidence in yourself," Frederick responded.

"Hmm… Interesting," Arbolith replied, swaying back and forth for a bit.

Frederick sniffed the air as he heard someone approaching. It didn't take long for him to pick up on the scent of flowers.

"There you are," Calder the Wartortle said as he and Floretta the Bellossom walked up to the Sudowoodo. "We finished up at the HQ, and we're just about to head over to the café for some drinks. Are you coming along, or not?"

"Hmm… Interesting," Arbolith responded, turning around to face his teammates. "I guess I will come along."

"All right," Calder replied, nodding and giving a small smile. "Let's go, then."

Arbolith waved to Frederick, before he and his teammates went off. Once they had left, things were quiet again for a few more minutes. Finally, Frederick heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Hey, we're back!" Azure shouted, grinning as she and the others approached Frederick.

"Ah, welcome back, guys!" Frederick responded, getting up and walking up to meet his teammates. "How'd things go?"

"Pretty well," Azure replied, still smiling. "We got everything done, and just picked up our rewards!"

"Oh, that's good," Frederick responded, smiling at Azure.

"Admittedly, things got a bit difficult as we had to fight our way out of a monster house at one point," Azure added, glancing over at Blitz. "But thanks to Blitz, we made it out of there just fine."

"Once I was able to get my paws on that orb, the rest was easy," Blitz said, smiling.

"Ooh, tell me more!" Frederick responded.

As the group headed towards the café and Azure told Frederick more about their latest mission, Sera turned to Blitz.

"You did really well today," Sera said, smiling at Blitz.

"Oh, thanks," Blitz responded, smiling back at her.

"If you don't mind me saying it, I think you're a really great leader," Sera said, looking away for a moment.

"Uh… Is something wrong?" Blitz asked, looking over at Sera.

"Do you… want to continue being the leader of this team, or do you want me to take back the leader position?" Sera responded, her ears drooping down slightly. "I know this was only meant to be a temporary thing, but… if you're having fun, then…"

"Don't worry about it," Blitz replied, smiling at Sera. "We're in this together, aren't we?"

"… Right," Sera responded, nodding her head and smiling back at Blitz.

Chiaki couldn't help but smile at his friends all getting along so well. While he still had his many questions and concerns, being with his friends was almost enough to make him forget all about those worries. Perhaps it wouldn't be so hard to keep his promise with Elina after all.

 _"We all worry about things sometimes,"_ Chiaki thought to himself. _"But life is much too short to let it stop you from enjoying what you like, or doing what needs to be done…"_

Several other rescue teams were also gathered at the café this evening, talking about recent events and whatever else came to mind. Chiaki was quiet for the most part, just taking the time to relax and observe the other Pokémon.

* * *

Outside the barrier around Fenix Town, a certain someone was hovering around, looking as annoyed as it was possible for their "borrowed" body to look without a whole lot of facial features to work with.

"To think that they actually managed to get the crystal from Nightmirror Forest…" Erebos muttered to himself, the eye on top of the Sigilyph's body flashing red. "That town oracle is quite annoying… and I bet that little brat is here too…"

However, Erebos soon seemed to calm down, snickering to himself as he floated away from the town.

"Guess I just need to make sure they can't possibly get to the remaining two crystals that I hid away!" Erebos said, before suddenly stopping as something occurred to him. "Although… Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if someone _did_ find them…"

His eyes flashed red once more, before he flew off into the evening sky, laughing to himself as he thought about what he would do once the Pokémon that had interfered with his plans was within his grasp…

* * *

**End of Chapter 47**


	48. I wonder what returning home will be like...

* * *

The sunset was giving the evening sky a red hue, as a young Shinx accompanied by a Luxio made her way over to a nearby field. She peeked out from some bushes, quietly observing the field. Parts of the field were visibly distorted, flickering and sparking. The grass near those spots appeared to have wilted, and it didn't look like anyone else was in the area. The Luxio limped his way over to the young Shinx, and looked out on the field. The Luxio gave a displeased snarl upon seeing the current state of the field, while the young Shinx merely looked concerned.

"Doesn't seem like any Zebstrika have been here in a while…" Lita commented, looking over at a distorted section of the ground. "Not that I would want to come here either in these conditions…"

"And yet the fact that we  _eat_  them never seemed to deter them," Charge said, tilting his head slightly. "Is the grass here just  _really_  tasty, or something?"

"I wouldn't know," Lita responded, smiling and shaking her head. "I've never tried it."

"Why would you?" Charge replied, giving Lita a look. "Anyways… Let's just head back."

"Okay," Lita responded, nodding her head.

"You lead the way," Charge said.

The two began making their way back to their territory within the Lightning Plateau, Lita taking it slow to make sure that Charge could keep up.

"Is this the only one this is happening to?" Charge asked, looking over at Lita.

"As far as I know, yes," Lita responded, nodding her head. "My mom hasn't said anything about any of our other regular hunting spots being affected by this yet…"

"Well, it's only a matter of time, isn't it?" Charge replied, sighing. "But I guess we won't starve just yet…"

"Don't worry, I'm sure somebody will get those crystals back and return them to Axis Tower soon!" Lita responded, smiling up at Charge. "And then everything will go back to normal, and the Zebstrika will return to that area!"

"Well, let's hope you're right," Charge replied, glancing around.

"The rescue teams in Fenix Town are working really hard!" Lita said, still smiling.

"Yeah, yeah… I know," Charge responded, nodding his head. "So, your older brother… he's with a rescue team, isn't he?"

"Uh, yes," Lita replied, nodding her head. "I already told you that."

"Right," Charge responded, looking away. "Um… How is he doing?"

"I'm not sure," Lita replied, shaking her head. "I hope he's doing okay, though."

"Hmm… Well, Fenix Town sounds like a pretty cool place," Charge responded, looking at Lita. "Although, I doubt I'd be okay with just living off of berries and fruit all the time."

"Me neither," Lita replied, smiling. "Blitz seems to have gotten used to it, though."

The two electric-type Pokémon kept walking, making small-talk as the sun went down. By the time they reached the cave where Lita and her mother lived, it was already dark.

"All right, we're here," Charge said, looking towards the cave. "Bye for now, I guess."

"Bye-bye!" Lita responded, smiling up at Charge.

Lita waited until Charge was no longer within her eyeshot, before heading inside where her mother was waiting for her.

"Ah,  _there_  you are," Leandra said, walking up to greet her daughter. "How was your day?"

"It was okay," Lita responded, looking up at her mother.

"Good to hear!" Leandra replied, smiling. "Oh, by the way, some of us are making plans for the next hunting trip away from the plateau."

"Already?" Lita asked, tilting her head slightly. "Is it because of the distortions?"

"Don't worry about that, Lita," Leandra responded, patting Lita on the head with her paw.

"I'm not worried," Lita replied, shaking her head. "But I'm right, aren't I? Have more hunting spots near our territory been affected?"

Lita knew how things usually worked. There were a few hunting spots close to Lightning Plateau, but occasionally they would send a team to an area further away from their territory to hunt. The reasons for this could vary, but it usually had something to do with something affecting the population of wild Pokémon in the usual hunting spots.

"Our pride has been able to survive worse things than this," Leandra said, grinning. "So, whatever happens, we'll be able to handle it!"

"You didn't answer my question," Lita responded, pouting. "If I'm going to be the leader of this pride someday, shouldn't I know what's going on around here?"

"Hmm? You want to become the next leader of the pride?" Leandra inquired, looking a bit surprised.

"Well, why not?" Lita responded, looking up at her mother. "I'm sure I could be a good leader."

"Being the leader of the Luxray pride is a lot of responsibility," Leandra said.

"I know that," Lita responded, nodding her head. "But I'm willing to learn everything I need to know!"

Leandra blinked a few times, before smiling warmly at her daughter.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Leandra said, affectionately nuzzling Lita. "My little princess…"

Lita smiled and rubbed her forehead against her mother's forehead. Since it was getting late, she decided to stop pushing the subject about the current state of the areas around Lightning Plateau for now. Besides, she figured that if the situation had changed drastically in some way, she would've already have found out about it.

* * *

Chiaki was lying awake in bed again, staring at a wall. For some reason, he just couldn't seem to fall asleep. He hoped this wasn't going to be a recurring problem. How was he supposed to have enough energy to deal with rescue team missions if he couldn't sleep at night? Suddenly, he felt a paw tap on his shoulder. Chiaki turned over so that he was facing Blitz, who had apparently noticed that he was having trouble sleeping.

"Is something wrong?" Blitz whispered, his golden eyes shining in the dark.

"It's nothing…" Chiaki responded, staring up at the ceiling.

"Are you sure?" Blitz asked, still looking at Chiaki.

Chiaki didn't answer, continuing to stare up at the ceiling.

"You know you can talk to us if something is bothering you, right?" Blitz said, tilting his head slightly. "Come on, talk to me."

"Well… I guess there is  _something_  I wanted to talk about…" Chiaki responded, looking over at Blitz.

"Go on, I'm listening," Blitz replied.

Chiaki gave Blitz a brief explanation of what he thought he had figured out about where he originally came from and the visions he kept having of the Meridian Forest.

"I see," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "So, you think you used to live in the Axis Tower?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," Chiaki replied.

"I suppose that makes sense…" Blitz responded, holding a paw to his chin. "Wild Mienfoo supposedly live in the areas around Axis Tower and Meridian Forest, and I believe there was a Mienshao among the guards from the tower…"

"So, at least that's  _one_  more mystery solved," Chiaki commented, smiling.

"But I don't understand… why can't Elina take you back home?" Blitz wondered, sitting up in his bed.

"I'm wondering the same thing," Chiaki responded, shrugging slightly. "But, there's no real point in worrying about that now, is there?"

"I don't know…" Blitz replied, shaking his head. "Something doesn't seem right here…"

"Are you saying you don't trust Elina?" Chiaki asked, looking away.

"I didn't say that," Blitz responded.

"... Blitz, I… I know there's somewhere else I need to be," Chiaki said, sighing. "But… I also want to stay with you, Sera and everyone else here in Fenix Town…"

"I see," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "I understand that you feel conflicted…"

"… Do you ever miss your old home?" Chiaki asked, looking over at Blitz. "Do you… ever think about going back there?"

"I… have thought about it," Blitz said, rubbing his forelegs together. "But things are… complicated, you know?"

"Yeah… You had all these expectations to deal with…" Chiaki responded, remembering what Hercules had told him and Sera. "I can't really imagine how difficult it must've been for you…"

"It was awful…" Blitz whispered, staring at a wall. "I don't ever want to go back to that…"

Chiaki wasn't sure how to answer, but just reached out and touched Blitz's paw. The two were quiet for a few moments, before Blitz spoke up again.

"If I can really do it, then I want to find my own destiny," Blitz said, looking down at his own paws. "Somehow, I think it might be possible if you're all by my side…"

"… I'll do what I can to help," Chiaki responded, giving a small smile. "But I… I don't know how much longer I will be able to stay here in Fenix Town…"

"... We're glad to have you around," Blitz replied, smiling back at Chiaki. "It'll be sad to see you go whenever you have to return home. It's been nice having a roommate."

"I like living here," Chiaki responded, his smile widening a little. "Your house is really nice, and I'm glad you let me stay here."

"I understand if you have to go back to your old home, though," Blitz said.

"There's still a lot I don't know about myself," Chiaki said, yawning. "I wonder what returning home will be like…"

"Well, I guess for now, we'd better get some sleep," Blitz responded, lying back down on his bed. "Think you'll be able to sleep now?"

"I'll try…" Chiaki replied, nodding his head slightly. "Good night, Blitz."

"Good night," Blitz responded, closing his eyes.

Chiaki took a deep breath and closed his eyes, hoping to finally get some sleep. Tomorrow would be another day of missions, another day he could spend time with his friends.

* * *

Another day had begun, and Sera was having breakfast with her family as usual. Even her parents, Summer and Olivier, were present this morning. While some of the siblings had questioned whether it was okay for their parents to be late for work, Summer and Olivier had assured them that it would be fine. The siblings were glad to be able to spend this time with them, though. After finishing her breakfast, Sera prepared to head out to meet with Blitz and Chiaki.

"You seem happy," Flare commented, smiling at Sera.

"Yeah, I suppose I'm feeling pretty great," Sera responded, smiling back.

"That's good," Flare replied, nodding his head slightly. "Well, do your best out there!"

"Thanks, I will!" Sera responded, grinning. "See you later!"

Once outside, Sera quickly made her way to the town plaza.

"Hmm… Where are they?" Sera muttered to herself, looking around for her friends. "Maybe they're not here yet…"

A few other rescue teams were going about their usual business, getting ready for another day of work. Mirage had just finished buying some items at the shop, and was on her way to the bank to deposit the remainder of the money she had with her at the moment. Regina once again needed a particular item that she had been storing at the item warehouse for a mission, and was waiting for Lionel to bring it to her. Sting and his teammates were waiting for Regina to finish her errand, so they could deposit an item they'd just gotten from a treasure box that Bijou had opened for them.

A few other Pokémon were just standing around, talking about recent events and such.

"Good morning, Sera!" Azure called out, as she and Frederick walked up to her.

"Oh, hey you guys!" Sera responded, smiling.

"Aren't Blitz and Chiaki here yet?" Frederick asked, sniffing the air.

"Hold on, I think I hear them…" Azure said, her ears twitching slightly. "Yeah, they're right there!"

Sera turned around and looked over in the direction Azure was pointing, and saw Blitz and Chiaki heading towards them.

"Ah, you're right!" Sera responded, waving to Blitz and Chiaki. "Hi Blitz! Hi Chiaki!"

"Hi Sera!" Chiaki shouted, waving back at Sera.

"Good morning, everyone," Blitz said, smiling at Sera and the others.

"All right, everyone's here!" Azure commented, grinning. "Let's go check out some missions!"

The group headed up to the rescue team HQ, and went to look up at the recently pinned up missions on the bulletin boards. Looking through the requests from various Pokémon, they eventually managed to pick out a few.

"Since I went on the last mission, I guess this one's yours, Frederick!" Azure said, smiling.

"Oh, is that okay?" Frederick asked.

"Sure!" Azure responded, nodding. "Besides, that mystery dungeon supposedly has a lot of grass types in it… Not a type good match-up for me, you know?"

"Ah, okay," Frederick replied, nodding his head.

"So, don't worry about me!" Azure said, winking. "There'll be more adventures, and since we're a team of five, we've got to share!"

"Chiaki or I could stay behind on some missions too," Sera added. "That way, both of you could go on a mission."

"True," Blitz commented, nodding his head. "Depending on the situation, there could be times where it'd be best for  _me_  to stay behind, having one of you act as leader for the mission."

"And if we get even more members, we'd have even  _more_  options!" Chiaki added, smiling cheerfully.

"Are we just going to stand here and talk all day, or are you guys going to go help these Pokémon?" Azure asked, smirking.

"Right, we should probably get started," Blitz responded.

The team went inside Kala's room. Kala was asleep, snuggling her worn pillow as usual. Blitz noticed that a list of some sort had been pinned up next to the large map.

"Hmm? What's that?" Chiaki asked, also noticing the list.

"Let me see…" Blitz responded, walking up to take a closer look. "… Looks like a list of mystery dungeons that are currently closed off due to distortions."

"Eh?" Azure replied, frowning.

Azure, Sera and Chiaki walked up to look at the list, while Frederick decided to try to wake Kala.

"Hmm… It's not too many mystery dungeons…" Chiaki commented.

"Still, distortions are continuing to spread, so that list is only going to get longer!" Azure said, pouting. "The stars better tell Stella where those remaining crystals are soon!"

"Why'd you take daddy's comb…?" Kala muttered in her sleep, as Frederick kept nudging her arm. "You don't even  _have_  a mustache…"

"Huh? I didn't do anything…" Frederick said, tilting his head slightly.

"Mm…?" Kala groaned, opening an eye slightly. "Oh, it's you guys."

"Hi Kala!" Chiaki said, cheerfully waving at the Abra.

"Yeah, good to see you too…" Kala responded, yawning and stretching her arms. "So, where do you want to go?"

* * *

Meanwhile, a Luxray was slowly, but surely making his way towards Lightning Plateau. He occasionally paused, stopping to take a breath. Then glanced around, spotting a few distortions in the fabric of space. He shook his head, and continued his walk. He had to get back home, and take responsibility for his actions. He wasn't sure how he would make things up to the other Luxray, but if he could at least do something to help out in these strange times, that'd be a start. He stopped and took another deep breath, looking at the path ahead of him. If he continued at this pace, he probably wouldn't reach his destination until the evening. On the plus time, it gave him time to think about what to say to the others once he arrived, but he knew words wouldn't be enough. He continued to walk, trying to mentally prepare himself for what awaited him…

* * *

Blitz led his teammates through a mystery dungeon located in a jungle, picking up any extra items they could carry along the way. As they reached the first of the floors on their list of missions, they began looking for the Pokémon they needed to rescue. Frederick attempted to pick up the scent of the one they needed to rescue, but the sweet scent being spread by some of the grass types on the floor was throwing him off. They continued to move through the labyrinth-like place, and after a while, Blitz finally spotted the Pokémon they had been asked to find.

A somewhat distressed looking Teddiursa was stuck next to a wild Pokémon resembling a large mass of blue vines with long arms. The Tangrowth had wrapped one of its long arms around the little light brown bear Pokémon, holding it close while it slept.

"Oh, someone finally came," the Teddiursa whispered, smiling sheepishly. "As you can probably see, I could use a little help here…"

Blitz and his teammates tried not to make too much noise as they moved closer.

"How'd you end up like this?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"I, uh… I'm not entirely sure myself," the Teddiursa responded, glancing at the Tangrowth to make sure it was still fast asleep. "Any chance you can get me out of this without waking this guy?"

"Hmm… Hold still..." Blitz said, picking up the rescue team badge. "I'll just move this over to you, and…"

The Teddiursa moved slightly, reaching for the rescue team badge. However, before her paw could touch the badge, a blue vine suddenly shot out from the Tangrowth's body and knocked the badge out of Blitz's paw.

"Ah…!" the Teddiursa cried, as the now-awake Tangrowth got up on its gray, stumpy legs. Two eyes were barely visible somewhere in the mass of blue vines, glaring at the four rescue team members.

"Well… That didn't go so well…" Sera commented.

"So, we have to fight it now?" Frederick asked, getting into a fighting stance.

"Be careful not to hit the Teddiursa!" Chiaki said.

"Y-Yeah! Don't hit me!" the Teddiursa responded, trying to wiggle out of the grass type's grip.

The Tangrowth swung its free arm like a whip, trying to strike Blitz. Blitz quickly jumped out of the way, barely avoiding the Tangrowth's attack.

"I suppose I could use my fire or ice fang attacks to make that Tangrowth release the Teddiursa…" Blitz mused, before glancing over at Chiaki. "Or…"

"… Oh! Of course!" Chiaki exclaimed, before rushing forward and striking the Tangrowth with a Fake Out attack. "Take this!"

The Tangrowth made angry plant noises as it flinched from Chiaki's attack, losing its grip on the Teddiursa.

"You okay?" Sera asked, running up to check on the Teddiursa as she landed on the grass.

"Um… Yeah, I think so…" the Teddiursa responded, getting back on her feet. "Whew…"

"Look out!" Chiaki called out, giving Sera just enough time to dodge out of the way of another strike from the Tangrowth's long arms.

"I'll, uh… just wait for you guys over there…" the Teddiursa said, backing away slowly, before turning around and running out of the room.

Frederick followed the sound of the vines rustling from the Tangrowth's movements, and fired off a few balls of purple fire at the large grass type. The Tangrowth made a disgruntled noise, before releasing a cloud of green dust. Blitz held his breath, and covered his nose with his paw in order to avoid the effects of the sleep powder.

"Don't worry, guys! I know we can do it!" Sera shouted, using her Helping Hand move to power up her teammates' attacks.

"Thanks, Sera!" Chiaki said, firing a stream of golden stars from his glowing paw at the Tangrowth.

The Tangrowth tried to block the star-shaped rays of light with one of its arms, leaving an opening for Blitz to attack. Blitz considered his options for a moment, before going for an electrified tackle. The attack didn't seem to have much of an effect, but he still managed to inflict a little bit of damage on the Tangrowth.

"Hmm… Not quite what I was hoping for…" Blitz muttered, before moving out of the way of another vine whip attack. "I suppose it'd be okay to use my fire or ice fang attacks here, but…"

"It's time to finish this!" Chiaki shouted, running towards the Tangrowth.

The Tangrowth put both arms in front of itself to try to block Chiaki's path, only for the Mienfoo to jump right over them. Before the Tangrowth had the chance to react, Chiaki managed to deliver a powerful kick to the Tangrowth's body, knocking it out. Chiaki gave a startled yell as he went flying backwards from the impact, before falling down onto the ground.

"Chiaki! Are you okay?" Sera asked, running up to him.

"Ow… I guess I need to practice that attack a bit more…" Chiaki said, smiling sheepishly as he looked around at his teammates. "Ah, don't worry! I'm fine!"

"Are you sure?" Sera asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay!" Chiaki responded, getting back on to his feet. "Guess we'd better go catch up to that Teddiursa, huh?"

"Yes, let's go," Blitz replied, nodding his head.

Blitz picked up the rescue team badge that had been dropped when the Tangrowth attacked, and placed it back on the bag before heading off in the direction the Teddiursa ran off in, hoping that she hadn't managed to get herself into more trouble while they had been busy.

* * *

While the others were busy with their missions, Azure spent the day helping out at the café. There weren't that many customers this particular day, but there was still plenty to do while she waited for her teammates to return. When her friends returned, she happily ran up to greet them and began asking about the missions they had been on. The five of them sat down at one of the tables, and talked about how the missions went.

"Sounds like you guys had a great adventure!" Azure commented, grinning.

"Yeah, but we used up most of our heal seeds…" Blitz responded, sighing. "Luckily, we don't actually end up needing them all that often, but still…"

"Don't worry about it, Blitz!" Chiaki said, smiling. "I'm sure we'll have a decent supply of heal seeds built up again in no time!"

"… You're probably right," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

"Hey, what time is it?" Sera asked, glancing at the nearest window. "I think I should head home now…"

"Ah, right," Azure responded, looking out through the same window. "Time sure flies when you're having fun…"

"I guess we should get going too," Blitz said, looking over at Chiaki.

"Hmm… I think I'll stay a little longer," Frederick said. "Good bye for now, though."

"Yeah, see you guys tomorrow!" Azure said, smiling.

"Bye-bye!" Chiaki said, waving to Azure and Frederick.

Blitz and Chiaki decided to accompany Sera on her way home. Sera seemed to appreciate their company, gazing warmly at Blitz as they walked side by side. It didn't take long before they reached Sera's family's house.

"Good night, you two," Sera said, smiling at Blitz and Chiaki.

"Good night, Sera," Blitz responded, smiling back at Sera.

"See you tomorrow!" Chiaki said, also smiling.

Sera hurried inside, while Blitz and Chiaki lingered outside for a few moments before turning to begin making their way back to their own house.

"Hey, Blitz?" Chiaki said, looking over at Blitz.

"What is it?" Blitz asked, glancing over at Chiaki.

"Um… Never mind," Chiaki responded, shaking his head.

"Hmm…?" Blitz replied, tilting his head slightly. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Ah… It can wait," Chiaki responded, looking away.

"Remember, you can talk to me or the others if there's something on your mind," Blitz said, looking at Chiaki.

"I know," Chiaki responded, smiling at Blitz.

"So, if there's something you want to talk about, let me know," Blitz replied, smiling back.

"I will, don't worry," Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

The two returned home, getting ready to get some sleep. In Fenix Town, the rest of the night would be an uneventful one. But perhaps elsewhere, something major had happened…

* * *

**End of Chapter 48**


	49. You really did come back...

* * *

The sun was going down in distance. Leandra was making her towards the crowd of Luxray that had gathered, and were currently discussing amongst themselves how to deal with this unexpected development. Soon, Leandra spotted him, a Luxray standing meekly before the others. Her eyes narrowed, as she walked up towards him. The Luxray lifted his head slightly, his eyes widening slightly as he saw Leandra approach him.

"So… It is true," Leandra said, sternly gazing at the Luxray in front of her. "You really did come back…"

"Leandra…" the Luxray responded, looking away in shame. "I… You have every right to be mad…"

"You  _don't_  need to tell me that, Tirell!" Leandra snarled, glaring at the former leader of the pride. "You just leave without a word, running away from your responsibilities and even your own family… Do you have any idea what we went through!?"

Tirell just stood there, looking down at the ground in shame. Some of the other Luxray nervously muttered amongst themselves, unsure of what to do. It was clear that Tirell couldn't just resume his old duties as the leader of the pride, so… exactly what would happen from here?

"… I know… I… I am a coward…" Tirell said, sighing. "I've failed you all, and… and I know simply apologizing won't make things right…"

"And  _how_  exactly do you intend to make things right?" Leandra asked through gritted teeth, still glaring at him.

"I… I don't know…" Tirell responded, shaking his head. "But… I want to do whatever I can to help the pride."

Leandra kept glaring at Tirell, while most of the other Luxray seemed too intimidated to approach them. Eventually, one Luxray did approach.

"Very well," the Luxray said, looking over at Tirell. "With the current situation being what it is, we might need all the help we can get…"

The Luxray glanced over at some of the other Luxray, before looking back over at Leandra and Tirell.

"We'll sort out the rest later," the Luxray said, walking away.

The other Luxray that had been watching the scene began to walk away. Leandra glared at Tirell for a few more moments, before turning around.

"Well, then… I'll be heading home now," Leandra said, before glancing over at Tirell one more time before leaving. "Do  _not_  follow me."

Tirell solemnly nodded his head, watching silently as Leandra walked away.

* * *

Lita awoke to the sound of a low growling, having fallen asleep while waiting for her mother to return home. She opened her eyes slightly and lifted her head, looking over at her mother, who had just returned. Lita wasn't sure what was going on, but she could tell from just a glance that something was bothering her mother. Leandra was breathing through gritted teeth, staring down at the ground as she lingered near the cave entrance. She soon looked up slightly and noticed Lita's concerned gaze.

"… There's nothing to worry about," Leandra said curtly.

"… Are you sure?" Lita responded, blinking a few times.

"Yes, I'm sure," Leandra replied hastily. "You don't have to worry about anything. Go back to sleep."

"… Okay," Lita responded, lying back down. "… Good night, mom."

"Good night, my little princess," Leandra replied, sighing.

Lita continued to stare up at her mother with golden eyes for a few more moments, before falling asleep. Leandra sat down and quietly thought about how to handle the situation. She knew she couldn't keep Tirell's return a secret from Lita for too long, and she knew it wouldn't take long for Tirell to discover that Blitz wasn't around and start asking about his son's whereabouts. Leandra wasn't looking forward to dealing with it all, but she knew there wasn't any way out of it.

Eventually, Leandra lay down, and after a few more minutes of inner turmoil, she was able to fall asleep.

* * *

The warm, bright rays of sun shone through the entrance of the cave, partially illuminating the inside. Lita wasn't in a hurry to get up, but after a while, she felt she'd be wasting too much of the day if she remained in bed. As she got up onto her feet, yawned and stretched, she realized that her mother wasn't there in the cave with her. Lita walked over to the cave entrance and peeked outside, wondering exactly what time it was. She was surprised to see a certain Luxio waiting for her outside the cave.

"Hey, you're up," Charge said, looking over at Lita.

"Oh, good morning, Charge," Lita replied, walking over to the Luxio. "How are you today?"

Charge looked away, seeming as if he was contemplating something.

"… Is something the matter?" Lita asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Ah… Your mother hasn't told you yet?" Charge responded, still not making eye contact with Lita.

"Told me what?" Lita inquired, looking up at Charge.

"… Come, let's go for a walk," Charge said, turning his head to face Lita. "I'll explain it as we go."

"Um… Okay," Lita responded, nodding her head.

The two electric-type Pokémon slowly walked together with no particular destination in mind, and Lita listened as Charge began to explain what had happened. As she listened to what Charge had to tell her, Lita's expression turned pensive.

"… I… see," Lita said, staring into space. "Dad… finally came back…"

"Yeah, pretty much," Charge responded, nodding his head. "Don't expect things to return to how they were before, though."

Lita quietly nodded her head, knowing perfectly well that Charge was right. A lot had happened since her father left, after all.

"… You want to go see him?" Charge asked, looking at Lita. "I mean, I doubt your mother would like that, but if you want, we could probably sneak over and-"

"No, it's okay," Lita responded, shaking her head.

"Ah, all right," Charge replied, seeming a bit startled that Lita cut him off.

After a few moments, the two electric types resumed their walk in silence. Charge couldn't help but watch Lita with a concerned look. He had a feeling that he wasn't the only member of the pride currently unsure of how to deal with this situation. If there was one thing Charge had learned over the course of the last few months or so, it was how quickly things could just suddenly  _change_.

"… That mystery dungeon…" Lita muttered.

"Hmm?" Charge responded, looking at Lita.

"… Take me there again," Lita said, looking up at Charge. "Take me to that mystery dungeon."

"Huh?" Charge replied, blinking a few times. "You mean… the one we explored together a while back?"

"Yes, that one," Lita responded, nodding her head. "Let's go back there."

"Um… Why?" Charge asked, still confused. "Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"

"Please…" Lita responded, looking up at Charge pleadingly.

"… All right," Charge replied, sighing. "We'll go."

* * *

It didn't take long before Charge and Lita reached the entrance to the mystery dungeon. It was only a few floors long, and was best known within the Lightning Plateau for being a place young Shinx tried to test their strength and courage by making it to the end of the dungeon and bringing back one of the berries that grew on the trees at the end of the dungeon. It was the dungeon Charge had taken Lita to so she could try to help her build up her confidence.

"So, we're back here again, huh?" Charge commented, looking around. "Hmm… I don't see any distortions in this area…"

"Me neither," Lita responded, also looking around. "That's good…"

The wild Pokémon living within the mystery dungeon weren't all that tough, making it a good spot to train for young Shinx seeking to test out their powers. Charge had also explored the dungeon back when he was a Shinx, just to show the other Shinx that he could. He had always been confident in his fighting abilities, and wasn't afraid to show it. Of course, that was before he made the mistake of pushing Blitz too far…

Charge glanced down at the damaged electricity glands on his left foreleg. He had accepted that it would probably never completely heal. Lita had offered to try teaching him how to use the Fire Fang and Ice Fang attacks that both she and her older brother had learned from their father, so maybe that could make up for his reduced ability to generate electricity. So far, he hadn't really been able to get either attack to work, though.

"So… If everything is fine here, should we go in?" Lita asked, looking up at Charge.

"Yeah, let's go," Charge responded, nodding his head.

The two stepped through the entrance to the dungeon, entering the labyrinth within. Since there wasn't anyone else in there at the moment besides them and the wild Pokémon, it was the perfect place to go to avoid everyone else for a while. Plus, Charge figured they could possibly get some training done while they were in there.

"Whoa…" Lita said, looking around as she and Charge explored the mystery dungeon. "This is completely different from how it looked the last time!"

"Of course it is," Charge commented, looking at Lita. "The mazes never look the same as when you last explored them."

"I know that," Lita responded, nodding her head slightly. "But this is the first time I'm actually seeing it."

"Oh, right," Charge replied, quickly nodding his head.

There were simply some things one had to see in order to fully comprehend it, even if one was familiar with the concept. The way the mystery dungeons worked was common knowledge, but it could still catch some off-guard to see it in action for the very first time. Mystery dungeons weren't like any other places, after all.

The two of them had begun slowly making their way through the maze, trying to locate the stairs leading to the next floor. The first floor's maze was a fairly small one, so it didn't take too long for them to actually find the stairs. Charge made sure to pick up an Oran berry lying on the ground a short distance away from the stairs before he and Lita moved on to the next floor. They hadn't come across any wild Pokémon on the previous floor, but upon reaching the second floor, they immediately came across one.

It was a small bipedal Pokémon with pale yellow fur and long red ears. Its tail was red and shaped like a plus-sign, and there were also plus-shaped markings on its red cheeks. The wild Plusle didn't seem at all perturbed as Charge and Lita appeared near it.

"So… Do you want to make the first move?" Charge asked, glancing down at Lita. "Or should I go first?"

"It doesn't really matter," Lita responded, not even looking up.

"Ah… Okay, then," Charge replied, nodding his head slightly.

Without warning, the Plusle dashed forward and hit Charge in the face. Charge quickly shook off the small rabbit-like electric type, before unleashing a powerful roar, sending the Plusle flying into a wall.

"You okay?" Lita asked, looking up at Charge.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Charge responded, rapidly shaking his head in annoyance.

The Plusle got back onto its feet, seeming a bit dazed. Lita took the opportunity to tackle the smaller electric type. The Plusle let out an angry squeak, before making its next move as the battle continued.

* * *

Meanwhile, Leandra was sitting by herself near a river, sparks of electricity occasionally rippling through her fur. She wondered if Lita had found out about Tirell's return yet. She must've had by now. Leandra sighed, not quite knowing what to do. She had gone back to the cave earlier to check if Lita had woken up, only to find that she had already gone off somewhere with her friend. Leandra wondered if she'd have enough time to figure out what to say about the situation before they got back…

One of her ears rose slightly as she heard the sound of rustling from behind her, but she didn't even need to turn to realize who it was that was approaching.

"… Tirell," Leandra said curtly.

Tirell stopped as Leandra said his name, pausing for a few seconds to consider what to say to her.

"… How are they?" Tirell asked, keeping some distance from the other Luxray.

"... "They"?" Leandra responded, feigning ignorance. "Who are you referring to?"

"Blitz and Lita," Tirell replied, looking away. "I… I know you don't want me to see them right now, but I wanted to at least know how they're doing…"

Leandra didn't answer him. After a few moments of tense silence, Tirell wondered whether or not to speak up again, but decided against it. Leandra glanced at the other Luxray behind her, sighing before finally breaking the silence once more.

"… You let everyone down, Tirell," Leandra said, her ears drooping down slightly.

"… I know," Tirell responded, looking down at the ground.

"How could you just run away like that?" Leandra asked, turning to face Tirell. "From the pride, from us… Were we not  _important_  to you?"

Tirell froze, staring wide-eyed at Leandra.

"You're  _horrible_ , Tirell," Leandra said, turning away.

Tirell wanted to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say.

"… Why bother  _now_ , Tirell?" Leandra asked, her voice wavering just a little. "I don't understand you…"

"Leandra…" Tirell said, looking down in shame. "… I'm sorry."

Leandra did not respond.

"… I know apologizing isn't enough," Tirell said, sighing. "I know you'll… probably never trust me the same way again…"

"Just go away," Leandra muttered, not turning to look at Tirell.

"… I'll talk to you later, then," Tirell responded, nodding his head solemnly.

Tirell slowly walked away, leaving Leandra by herself. Leandra sighed and lied down on the ground. Everything that was happening now was weighing heavily on her mind, but she didn't want to think about it all right now. It was certainly going to take a while for things to get better…

* * *

Lita and Charge stood back to back as they faced off against two wild Pokémon in the mystery dungeon. One was another Plusle, while the other was a similar-looking Pokémon with light blue ears, cheeks and tail, as well as minus-symbols instead of plus-symbols. Both seemed quite excited, blue sparks occasionally shooting from their bodies. When together in the same place like this, the Plusle and the Minun gained an extra power boost. However, Charge and Lita didn't seem too worried about this.

"Which one of them should we try to take down first?" Lita asked, glancing at Charge.

"Well, I think the Plusle might hit a little harder," Charge responded, quietly looking over at the Plusle. "Although I wouldn't take my eyes off of the Minun either… They're both pretty fast, you know."

"Got it," Lita replied, nodding her head. "Let's do this, then."

"Watch out!" Charge called out, as both the Plusle and the Minun came rushing towards them.

Lita quickly dodged the Plusle, while Charge tried to push the Minun away with a headbutt, knocking it down to the ground. Lita then lunged at the Plusle, managing to hit with a tackle. She was about to attack again before the Plusle could get back up, when the Minun suddenly rushed in from the side and struck before Lita had the chance to react.

"Lita!" Charge called out, having trouble keeping up with the faster Pokémon.

"I-I'm all right…" Lita responded, shaking it off.

The Minun had helped the Plusle back onto its feet, and the two of them seemed quite cheerful.

"What are you two so excited about?" Lita muttered under her breath, glaring at the two wild Pokémon.

Sparks flew from the Plusle and the Minun's bodies as they ran towards Lita once more, but she made her fur shine brightly, blinding them both. Lita then took the opportunity to attack the Plusle once more, before quickly moving aside as the Minun came rushing towards her. Charge took the opportunity to attack as Lita led the Minun to him, biting down on the rabbit-like Pokémon's tail. The Minun managed to shake free, but was starting to look visibly worn out from the battle.

"Just a little more…" Charge muttered, observing his opponents.

Charge approached the Minun, only for the Plusle to suddenly run over and jump onto his head. He attempted to shake the Plusle off as the smaller Pokémon clung to his mane. The Minun cheerfully jumped up and down, cheering for the Plusle, only to find itself getting tackled from behind by Lita.

The Plusle gave a surprised squeak and lost its grip on Charge's mane as Lita knocked the Minun down to the ground.

"Let's get this over with!" Lita shouted, leaping at the Plusle and biting down with glowing blue fangs.

Charge watched as Lita's attack left the wild Plusle encased in ice.

"Wow…" Charge said, blinking a few times. "That was… pretty cool."

"Thanks," Lita responded, panting. "I've been practicing…"

The two electric lion Pokémon decided to leave the room they had been in and find the stairs leading outside. The Minun got up onto its feet, and looked around, before turning to the frozen Plusle next to it. The Minun curiously examined the ice that the Plusle was currently stuck inside, before breathing its warm breath onto the ice. The Minun tilted its head slightly, glancing around, before resuming trying to thaw the other Pokémon out from the ice with its breath.

* * *

After exiting the mystery dungeon, Lita and Charge laid down underneath a large berry tree. Things were quiet for a few minutes, neither of them speaking. They occasionally looked at each other, appreciating the other's company. Warm rays of sunlight shined down on the two through the branches of the tree. A soft breeze blew through the area, rustling the leaves on the branches of the trees.

"… I don't really feel any braver…" Lita said softly, absentmindedly staring at the sky.

"Hmm?" Charge responded, looking over at Lita next to him.

"The young Shinx go here to prove their courage, right?" Lita asked, looking over at Charge.

"Yeah…" Charge responded, nodding his head.

"I don't feel any braver, though," Lita said, sighing. "I know I can't avoid what is happening now… and I don't  _want_  to run from it…"

Lita's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I don't want to be a coward," Lita said decisively. "I want to be strong enough to face whatever happens, no matter how difficult it may get."

"Lita…" Charge responded, staring at the younger Pokémon.

"I know," Lita replied, closing her eyes. "As I am now, I lack that kind of strength…"

"I-I don't think anyone expects you to have that kind of strength right now!" Charge exclaimed. "I mean, you're still just a cub!"

"But I won't always be," Lita replied, still keeping her eyes closed. "In fact, I'm pretty sure it won't be long before I'm the same height as my big brother…"

"Well… I suppose…" Charge responded, glancing around.

"And besides, with things being the way they are now, I doubt I'll just be able to play and have fun all day," Lita said, opening her eyes.

"Yeah… I guess that's true," Charge responded.

There were a few seconds of silence, before Lita spoke up again.

"… I'll have to tell my big brother about this," Lita said, sighing. "I wonder how he might feel about all of this…"

"I wouldn't know," Charge responded, shaking his head.

"... Do you think… Blitz would be angry?" Lita asked, looking over at Charge. "Do you think he might be mad at father…?"

"It wouldn't be unreasonable," Charge responded, looking away. "I can't really speak for Blitz, though…"

"Right…" Lita replied, nodding her head slightly.

"What about you?" Charge asked, looking over at Lita. "Are  _you_  mad at your father?"

Lita thought it over for a few moments before answering.

"I'm not really sure…" Lita said, blinking a few times. "My feelings… are kind of complicated right now…"

"I see," Charge responded, nodding his head slightly.

"My dad's actions caused a lot of trouble for everyone," Lita said, sighing. "Especially for my big brother…"

Charge just nodded his head in response.

"I don't want to hate him, though," Lita said, resting her head on her paws. "In fact, I don't think I'm capable of doing so… I'm still pretty upset about all of this, though."

"So, you'll forgive him?" Charge asked, looking over at Lita.

"Not right away," Lita responded, shaking her head. "But I'm sure I will eventually. Things will get better, right?"

"I guess so," Charge responded, tilting his head slightly. "Things are going to be a little tense now, but it can't possibly stay that way forever."

"Yeah… You're right," Lita replied, leaning against Charge with a small smile.

Charge looked a bit surprised as Lita leaned against him, but didn't say anything. He hoped for Lita's sake that things would get better soon. However, in a way, he could also sympathize with what Tirell had to be going through. Tirell had made mistakes, and was now going to be trying to make up for them. Tirell's actions had caused a lot of grief for Blitz, and Charge knew that his own actions had only made things worse.

Charge hadn't had the chance to apologize to Blitz yet. He wasn't sure when he would get that chance, since it didn't seem like Blitz would be returning home to Lightning Plateau anytime soon. Charge wasn't sure if spending time with and looking after Lita was helping make up for what he had done, but he had grown to care about her. Charge wondered if Lita too had grown to consider him something like a second older brother. Of course, it wouldn't be quite the same…

"Charge…?" Lita said, still leaning against the Luxio.

"What is it?" Charge asked, looking over at Lita.

"Maybe we should head back now?" Lita responded, looking up at Charge. "I… I should really talk to my mom about this, and… I have to let Blitz know what's happened too…"

"Right," Charge replied, nodding his head. "Let's go, then."

The two got up, and began heading back. The two slowly walked side by side, not saying much as they walked together. Charge wondered how the conversation between Lita and her mother would go, or what would happen from here. There wasn't much he could do, though, aside from continuing to look after Lita.

 _"Lita is a lot braver than she thinks she is,"_ Charge thought to himself, glancing down at the smaller Pokémon by his side.  _"I can't help but admire her a little…"_

Things were always changing, sometimes gradually, other times almost instantly. The situation was rather tense now, but Charge knew that he was right and that things would eventually be sorted out. It'd probably take a bit longer for Leandra and Tirell to patch things up, but Charge didn't doubt that they too would eventually figure something out.

A lot could happen in Lighting Plateau in the next few days, but at this point, no one could know exactly what to expect. Charge, Lita and the other Pokémon living there would just have to wait and see how things would play out…

* * *

That night, in Fenix Town, Stella and Bow were watching the stars as usual, seeking answers about the whereabouts of the remainder of the Axis Tower crystals. After looking up at the stars for a while, a glimpse of another place appeared in a vision.

"It's… snowing…" Bow said, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Oh, you see it too?" Stella asked, looking over at her daughter.

"Yes…" Bow responded, nodding her head. "A place full of snow and ice…"

"And somewhere in that place, a crystal is hidden…" Stella added, smiling.

"Do you know where this place is?" Bow asked, looking over at her mother.

"I think so," Stella responded, nodding her head. "We'll inform the rescue teams tomorrow."

Bow smiled, and decided to call it a night and get some sleep, now that the stars had revealed the location of another one of the crystals. Stella decided to stay awake a little longer, and see if the stars had anything else to show her.

* * *

**End of Chapter 49**


	50. Be careful out there in the cold, okay?

* * *

Another new day had begun in Fenix Town, and a few of the rescue teams were currently gathered in the town plaza, as Stella and Bow had an important message for them. Blitz and his teammates were among the Pokémon in the crowd that were listening to Stella and Bow's explanation about the vision that the stars had shown them last night, revealing to them the location of one of the crystals that still had yet to be retrieved. Unbeknownst to them all, there was also a certain Elgyem listening in on Stella and Bow's explanation, observing them from a hiding spot with a pensive expression.

"Wow, it never even crossed my mind that one of the crystals would be hidden so close to the place where I used to live," Frosty the Beartic commented, stroking his icicle beard. "I hope that villain didn't mess with the place…"

"I'm afraid I don't know too much about the current state of Mt. Frostbite," Stella replied, looking over at Frosty. "I know there is definitely a crystal there, but it was… difficult to tell exactly what was going on…"

"It was snowing, a lot!" Bow added, raising her arms.

"Was it like… a blizzard?" Frosty asked, looking somewhat concerned.

"I don't know," Bow responded, shaking her head. "But… for a brief moment, I thought I saw  _something_  moving inside the flurry of snow… I don't know what it was, though…"

"… I see," Frosty replied, nodding his head.

"Well, whatever the situation is, whoever decides to take on this mission ought to be very careful out there," Stella explained, crossing her arms. "If you are not an ice or fire type Pokémon, I recommend seeing Couture. She should be able to provide you with something to help you stay warm in the colder parts of this region."

"And, um, when making your usual preparations for going into a mystery dungeon, you should choose your items carefully so you're prepared for any situation," Bow added, looking around at the various teams. "Don't forget that!"

"All right, I believe that is all," Stella said, looking over at Frosty once more. "Since you're familiar with the area, would you mind taking it from here?"

"Don't worry about it, Stella," Frosty responded, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'll gladly answer any questions these other guys have about Mt. Frostbite!"

"Thank you," Stella replied, smiling back at Frosty. "Well, I guess we'll be heading home, then."

"Good luck, everyone!" Bow said, happily smiling and waving at the rescue teams, before she and her mother headed home.

After the two of them had left, the other rescue team members turned to Frosty.

"So, this Mt. Frostbite is close to the village where you used to live, right?" Mirage asked, looking over at Frosty.

"That is correct," Frosty responded, nodding his head. "It's quite the impressive sight."

"I'm guessing there's a mystery dungeon within Mt. Frostbite?" Sera asked, raising a paw.

"Yes, that's right," Frosty responded, nodding his head.

"How big is it?" Azure asked, grinning.

"Um… I don't actually know the answer to that one…" Frosty replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I've never actually explored the whole thing… I can tell you that it is divided into multiple sections."

"Multiple sections…?" Regina the Servine inquired.

"Yeah," Frosty replied, nodding his head. "They're in the area both outside, and inside of icy caves within the mountain!"

"Yikes…" Regina said, wincing.

"You said it," Frederick commented, turning his head in Regina's reaction. "Not a place I would want to visit…"

"The mushroom also agrees with this sentiment," Cordyceps said.

"Speak for yourselves!" Azure shouted, grinning. "That place sounds awesome!"

"I assume that this place is mostly inhabited by ice-type Pokémon?" Sting buzzed in, looking over at his teammate.

"Well, obviously," Frosty responded, shrugging his shoulders. "There are some really tough ice-types there."

"I'd expect as much," Blitz commented.

"Also, aside from the wild Pokémon inhabiting the dungeon, there's also this Absol who lives on the mountain," Frosty said, smiling. "If something happens that would affect the village, he would come down from the mountain to warn everyone!"

"Ooh, really?" Chiaki responded, looking up at Frosty. "Maybe… he'd be willing to help us find the crystal?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he would, if you happened to meet him while making your way up the mountain!" Frosty replied, nodding his head.

"That would be really great!" Chiaki responded, smiling at the thought.

"So, anyways… Who will be heading there, anyways?" Frosty asked, looking around at the gathered Pokémon.

The various rescue teams exchanged looks, and began trying to work out which teams would go on the mission. Frosty obviously wanted to take part in the mission, which Sting had no objections to and so decided they would indeed go. Regina decided against going, feeling that she and her teammates wouldn't be able to get through a mystery dungeon full of ice-type Pokémon. Calder and his teammates also decided not to go. Megara felt confident in being able to handle the mission since her fire-type attacks would be super effective against ice-types, while Cordyceps was against going since he was part grass-type, and thus like Regina and Floretta, wouldn't have good odds against a bunch of strong ice-types. In the end, Mirage made the decision for the team, deciding that they would indeed go, much to Cordyceps' dismay.

As at least two of the higher ranked rescue teams had now volunteered to go, some of the other rescue teams followed Calder and Regina as they and their teammates headed for the HQ to look for other missions. Blitz and his teammates discussed the situation amongst themselves for a few more moments, before making their decision.

"So, we're going?" Azure asked, grinning excitedly.

"Yeah," Blitz replied, nodding his head. "I mean, we've helped retrieve the five crystals that have been found so far, so I feel we might as well keep going..."

"Yes!" Azure exclaimed, happily jumping into the air.

"My fighting type attacks will be super effective, right?" Chiaki asked, smiling at Blitz.

"Yes, they will," Blitz responded, nodding his head again. "However, I have a feeling this won't be an easy one… So, don't let your guard down, okay?"

"Understood!" Chiaki replied, saluting with one paw.

"Uh, it looks like the other two teams are already headed for the HQ," Sera pointed out, looking over in their direction. "Shouldn't we be getting ready too?"

"Right," Blitz responded. "So, let's make our preparations."

* * *

After a quick stop at a few of the shops and services in the town plaza, the group made their way to the HQ and headed through the green curtain to see Couture. The Leavanny was humming to herself as she worked on something, as the five younger Pokémon stepped into her room. As she put down what she was working on and turned around, she greeted Blitz and his teammates with a friendly smile.

"Ah, hello there!" Couture said, smiling brightly. "Wait; let me guess, you're planning on heading to Mt. Frostbite, aren't you?"

"Yes, we are," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "I'm guessing Sting and Mirage's teams have already been here?"

"That is correct," Couture replied, picking up a red scarf. "They needed something so their non-ice and non-fire-type Pokémon could stay warm during their mission in the colder part of this region, so I gave them the perfect thing for the job!"

"Those scarves will keep us warm, then?" Chiaki asked, curiously looking at the scarf Couture was showing them. "Like, the entire body?"

"Of course," Couture responded, winking. "These are special, high-quality scarves, specifically made for these types of missions!"

"Ooh, I like the sound of that!" Azure commented, grinning.

"So, how many would you like?" Couture asked, looking over the group.

"Uh, I'm not going, so they only need four," Frederick said, tilting his head slightly. "I wouldn't last long against a bunch of powerful ice-types, so…"

"Ah, right," Couture responded, looking down at the scarf. "These won't actually protect from attacks from ice-type Pokémon, by the way. It may possibly reduce the damage you'd take just a little, though."

"Good to know," Blitz replied.

Couture quickly picked out four red scarves, and held them out to Blitz and his team. Chiaki stepped up and accepted the scarves from Couture.

"Thanks!" Chiaki said, smiling.

"I'm just glad to help!" Couture responded, smiling back.

Chiaki helped Blitz and Sera put their scarves on, before handing one of the remaining two scarves to Azure and putting on his own scarf.

"They look good on you!" Couture commented, nodding her head in approval. "Well, I guess you're all set for your mission now?"

"I certainly hope so," Blitz responded, glancing down at the treasure bag he was carrying. "I tried to pack a good variety of items…"

"I'm sure we'll be fine!" Chiaki replied, grinning.

"Yeah!" Azure said, nodding. "Let's get going!"

The five of them thanked Couture once more for her assistance and said good-bye, before heading into Kala's room. Kala was in her usual position, snoring lightly while hugging her pillow. Sera walked up to try to wake the sleepy Abra.

"But you'll still take the damage…" Kala muttered in her sleep as Sera began shaking her shoulder. "… I'll set two cards face down, and end my turn…"

"Kala seems to have a lot of interesting dreams, doesn't she?" Chiaki commented, tilting his head. "I always find myself wondering what exactly she's dreaming about…"

Kala soon opened her eyes slightly, glancing at the rescue team.

"Oh, hey there…" Kala said, yawning as she sat up. "So… What can I do for you today…?"

"We're headed for Mt. Frostbite," Blitz explained.

"Ah, you too, huh…?" Kala responded, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah, about that… I can't send you directly to Mt. Frostbite…"

"You can't?" Azure replied, staring at Kala incredulously.

"I'm sorry…" Kala responded, looking over at the map. "However… I  _can_  send you over to this mystery dungeon here…"

Kala hovered over to the map, and pointed to a mystery dungeon marked on it.

"The Snow-Laden Path… if you go through this mystery dungeon, you'll end up in a village…" Kala explained, moving her finger over to the village as shown on the map. "From there… You can get to Mt. Frostbite…"

"I see," Blitz responded, watching the map. "So, we have to go through the mystery dungeon that leads to the village where Frosty lived before moving here."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Azure asked, looking around at her teammates. "The other two teams already have a head-start! We should get going too!"

Kala had slowly floated back down onto her pillow, and seemed to have dozed off again.

"Good luck, you guys," Frederick said, smiling at his teammates. "Be careful out there in the cold, okay?"

"We will," Sera responded, nodding her head and smiling back.

"Yeah, so don't worry about us!" Azure said, grinning. "We'll be back with that crystal before you know it!"

Azure stepped forward and affectionately patted Frederick's head.

"See you later, buddy," Azure said, still smiling. "I'll tell you all about our adventure when we get back, okay?"

"Okay, Azure," Frederick responded, nodding his head. "I'll wait for you guys at the café."

Blitz stepped up to Kala, and shook her shoulder again.

"Kala, we're ready to go," Blitz said, glancing at Sera, Chiaki and Azure as they walked up to join him.

"Hmm…?" Kala replied, opening her eyes and lifting her head slightly. "Ah, right…"

Kala sat up for a moment, before floating up into the air as she prepared to teleport the four of them to their destination. In a flash of green light, they were sent off to their destination. Her job done, Kala laid back down onto her pillow. Realizing that the others had left, Frederick left the room, being sure not to make much noise so he wouldn't disturb Kala. He then left the HQ to head to the café, where he would wait for his teammates' return.

* * *

Chiaki looked around his surroundings in awe as he and his teammates arrived in a location covered in white snow, glittering in the sunlight that shined on it. His teammates also admired the beautiful sight, approaching the entrance to the mystery dungeon. Chiaki bent down and scooped up some snow in his paws, taking a moment to examine how it felt in his paws. He wondered if he had come across snow before, at some point before he lost his memories. Or maybe this was the first time? He wasn't sure.

"You know, if we didn't have work to do, it would've be fun to play in this snow," Azure commented, poking at it with her foot. "Then again, I guess this snow isn't in the right state for making snowmons…"

"Building snowmons, huh?" Sera said, looking over at Azure. "Not the suggestion I expected from you. I would've thought you'd suggest a snowball fight!"

"Well, how would you and Blitz throw the snowballs?" Azure responded, glancing down at Sera's paws. "Seems to me like Chiaki and I would kind of have the advantage there…"

"Uh, guys?" Blitz said, drawing the attention of his teammates. "We should probably get going. After all, getting through this mystery dungeon is only our  _first_  objective."

"Ah, right," Sera responded, nodding her head. "I guess we should get going if we want to be home before it gets too late…"

"Not to mention that the other two rescue teams are already ahead of us," Azure added. "We might miss out on all the action if we can't catch up!"

Chiaki continued to absent-mindedly stare at the snow, until his teammates called him over to the entrance of the mystery dungeon. The four of them exchanged looks, before stepping through the entrance into the maze. Snow-covered trees made up the walls of the labyrinth they found themselves in, and there was also snow on the ground, as expected.

"This way, everyone," Blitz said, pointing his paw towards one of the paths.

Blitz led the group down the path he'd pointed out, Chiaki briefly looking down at the paw prints they all left in the snow as they moved. They all kept an eye out for items and wild Pokémon as they searched for the stairs to the next floor. As expected, it seemed most of the wild Pokémon in the dungeon were ice-type Pokémon. However, they also came across a few deer-like Pokémon with dark brown fur and a yellow flower growing at the top of their heads as they went through the first few floors of the dungeon.

Being part normal-type and part grass-type, the winter form Deerling were also weak to fighting-type and fire-type attacks just like the ice-types were. While his Fire Fang attack would be effective against their current opponents, Blitz was still reluctant to use it.

"Take this!" Azure shouted, as she rolled at high speed into an ice-type Pokémon resembling a small, snow-covered tree, slamming it into the ground.

"We're doing pretty well so far," Sera commented, smiling at her teammates.

"Yep," Azure responded, shaking off some snow. "I'd say this is a good workout before we get to the main mission!"

"I hope there's a Kangaskhan Rock we can use in the village," Blitz said as he put an Oran berry they had just picked up from the ground into the bag. "We've managed to hold on to our most important items so far, but we're running out of space for extra items…"

"I guess we should keep working hard so we can get a bigger treasure bag soon, huh?" Sera responded.

"We certainly should," Blitz replied, nodding his head.

The group continued making their way through the dungeon, dealing with any wild Pokémon in their way. Oval-shaped pig-like Pokémon mostly covered in fur and Pokémon resembling small snow-covered trees with arms were the two most common encounters throughout the dungeon, even as some of the other encounters on later floors changed. About halfway through the dungeon, they stopped coming across Deerling, and a brown reindeer-like Pokémon with a round tail and a black orb on each of its yellow antlers seemed to take their place.

The wild Stantler proved to be a bit more of a challenge, with their hypnotic abilities and limited psychic power. However, with a bit of teamwork, they were able to take them down without much issue.

"We should be getting close to the end now…" Blitz said, looking around as they arrived on yet a new floor.

"I wonder what new friends we'll make this time," Chiaki commented, smiling.

"You sure there will be time for that?" Azure asked, following behind Chiaki. "I mean, I don't think we'll be in that ice-type village for long."

"At most, I'd say we'll only have time for a short break," Sera said, glancing at the two Pokémon following behind her and Blitz.

"So… No time for getting to know the Pokémon of the village, then?" Chiaki asked.

"Well, considering Erebos' actions up until now, it might be a good idea to talk to the Pokémon of the village to ask if they've noticed anything out of the ordinary," Blitz said, looking around for wild Pokémon nearby. "We might be able to get some more important information before heading to Mt. Frostbite that way."

"Oh, right," Sera responded, nodding her head. "Good idea."

The group continued moving through the remainder of the mystery dungeon's floors. As they finally reached the final set of stairs, they found themselves back outside, at the entrance of the ice Pokémon village. It had also started to snow by the time they exited the dungeon. The four of them exchanged glances, before heading into the village.

* * *

It was a small village, with several wooden cottages with snow-covered roofs. A few of the younger ice-type Pokémon were out playing in the snow, while a few of the older Pokémon were standing around, talking about their own things. Blitz and his teammates looked around as they walked further into the village, looking for someone who looked like they might know something useful. Chiaki looked excited as they explored the village, catching a few glimpses of the Pokémon there going about their lives.

"Look, it's another rescue team!" someone shouted.

Some of the younger ice-type Pokémon came running up to the rescue team, curiously looking at the four of them.

"Ah! Um… Hi," Blitz said, blinking a few times.

"Are you guys really a rescue team?" a dark-furred Pokémon with sharp claws asked, as she curiously looked at each member of the team.

"We are!" Chiaki responded, nodding his head and smiling.

"Whoa, really?" the Sneasel replied, tilting her head slightly.

"Hmm… Are you guys heading to Mt. Frostbite too, then?" a small pink humanoid Pokémon with blond hair asked. "… You don't look as tough as those other guys."

"T-T-The Pokémon on Mt. Frostbite are r-r-really strong," a small, gray Pokémon that looked as if it was wearing a yellow coat said.

"Hey, we can handle this no problem!" Azure stated with a confident smirk. "Even if none of us are fully evolved yet, we're still really strong!"

"Strong enough to stand a chance against the Pokémon on Mt. Frostbite?" the Smoochum asked, still seeming a bit skeptical.

"Um… We'll see," Blitz responded, briefly touching the yellow rings on his forelegs together.

"S-S-Something isn't right…" the Snorunt said, still shivering.

"With the wild Pokémon within Mt. Frostbite, you mean?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"H-H-Huh?" the Snorunt responded, blinking a few times. "Y-Y-You already heard?"

"Can you tell us more about it?" Sera asked, smiling sweetly.

"Um… T-T-The elder…" the Snorunt uttered, taking a breath before continuing. "S-S-She should be able t-t-to tell you more t-t-than I could…"

"Ah, is that so?" Blitz asked, looking over at the Snorunt. "Can you take us to her?"

"Y-Y-Yes, I can!" the Snorunt responded, nodding slightly. "F-F-Follow me!"

The Snorunt began to skip away, Blitz and his teammates following closely behind. Chiaki briefly stopped to wave good-bye to the other young ice-type Pokémon, with a few of them waving back and wishing the rescue team good luck. As they headed towards the home of the Pokémon that the Snorunt referred to as the town's elder, Chiaki looked over at Mt. Frostbite, which was visible in the distance. There was a crystal hidden somewhere on that mountain, and soon he and his friends would be climbing up there to look for it.

Sting and Mirage's teams had probably already started making their way through the mystery dungeon. Sting's team had Frosty, who was familiar with the area, while Mirage's team had Megara with the type advantage. Chiaki wondered how far the two teams had made it by now, and what obstacles they were facing at the moment. They would know soon enough, though.

Once they had spoken to the so-called elder, they would begin their own exploration of the mystery dungeon within Mt. Frostbite. A beautiful and hazardous place of ice, and with Erebos' forbidden magic present, there was no doubt that a chilling adventure awaited them there…

* * *

**End of Chapter 50**


	51. I'm just glad I made it in time.

* * *

After making their way through the Snow-Laden Path, Blitz and his teammates had reached a certain village inhabited by ice-type Pokémon. Before continuing on to Mt. Frostbite, where one of the Axis Tower crystals was hidden, they had decided to speak to some of the locals in order to find out if they had noticed anything unusual in the past several weeks or so. A young Snorunt had brought them to the home of a Pokémon who could supposedly give them the information they needed. While most of the buildings in the village were made of wood, this house in particular stood out due to being made almost entirely out of ice. The Snorunt carefully pulled at the sheet covering the front door, motioning for Blitz and his teammates to go inside.

"Um… Is it really okay for us to just go in?" Blitz asked, looking over at the Snorunt.

Before the Snorunt had the chance to answer Blitz's question, Chiaki had already stepped inside. He curiously looked over at the white humanoid Pokémon that was hovering in front of a large block of ice, staring at it intently. Her two arms were connected to the sides of her head, with one hand currently touching her chin as she continued to stare into the ice. There were two small ice crystals on top of her water-droplet shaped head, vaguely resembling horns.

"H-H-Hey…" the Snorunt said, walking up to the Froslass. "I-I-I brought another rescue t-t-team over… Is n-n-now a bad time?"

"Not really," the Froslass responded, shaking her head slightly. "I'm just waiting for this block of ice to turn into art, but alas, it seems inspiration just won't come to me at this moment…"

The Froslass turned around, allowing Chiaki and the others to get a look at her face. It almost looked as if she were wearing a mask, due to the holes in her head. Her blue eyes were visible through two of the holes, while her mouth was visible through a gap in the "mask".

"I suppose I'll take a break for now," the Froslass said, looking over at Blitz and his teammates. "So, you wish to know about Mt. Frostbite, is that it?"

"Yes, that's why we're here," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "A Beartic from this village, Frosty, already told us a bit, but we thought someone here might know if anything unusual had happened lately…"

"Ah, yes, Frosty," the Froslass replied, chuckling. "I remember when he was just a little Cubchoo… I recall he was quite the energetic little thing, albeit a little clumsy… He was always yearning to get stronger, and from what I can tell, he has indeed grown quite strong."

"Yeah, you've got that right," Azure commented, grinning. "He's part of a pretty high-ranked rescue team, after all!"

"Yes, I'm glad he's been doing well," the Froslass responded, nodding her head slightly. "It seems moving to Fenix Town was a good decision on his part."

"We certainly like having him around," Sera said, smiling.

"Good to hear," the Froslass replied, holding a hand to her chin. "Anyways, I guess I'd better tell you what you came to hear, so that you rescue team Pokémon can carry out your mission."

"Right," Blitz said, nodding his head. "The wild Pokémon on Mt. Frostbite are acting unusual, isn't that right?"

"Indeed," the Froslass responded, forming what looked like a ball of ice with two pointy horns between her hands. "I've noticed that some of the wild Glalie seem to be acting more aggressive than usual… It's like they're patrolling the area, and if they see anything out of the ordinary, they'll immediately attack with powerful ice attacks… I suggest you try to stay out of their line of sight if possible."

"We'll keep that in mind," Blitz replied. "Anything else we should look out for?"

"Hmm… Well, based on the unusually long and harsh blizzards on the mountain lately, I'd guess that the wild Abomasnow are also affected by this," the Froslass said as she began to form another small ice sculpture between her hands.

"Ah, Stella and Bow did say something about that when they described their vision, didn't they?" Sera pointed out, her ears perking up. "Something about it being difficult to see through all the snow?"

"Yeah, they did say that," Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

"Well, keep an eye out for them when exploring the outside parts of the dungeon," the Froslass replied, the small ice sculpture formed between her hands having taken the shape of a bipedal Pokémon with spiky hands and a tail, as well as fur covering most of its body. "I don't think you'll see them inside the cave areas."

"I see," Blitz responded, holding a paw to his chin. "So, wild Abomasnow appear in the outside areas of the dungeon, and I assume the wild Glalie can appear both inside and outside the caves, correct?"

"Yes, that is right," the Froslass replied, nodding her head slightly.

"Is there anything else?" Blitz asked, looking up at the Froslass.

"There might be," the Froslass responded, leaning against the block of ice she had been staring into earlier. "However, I've only really gotten a look at the first few floors of the dungeon, so I'm afraid that's all the information I can give… I can only assume the Pokémon higher up on the mountain are also affected."

"S-S-Scary…" the Snorunt muttered, having quietly listened this whole time.

"So, keep an eye out for the Glalie, Abomasnow and other kinds of wild Pokémon that might be acting unusual," Azure said, nodding slightly.

"Hmm, that might be easier said than done," Blitz commented, looking over at Azure. "Especially with those harsh snowstorms in the outside areas… Even with my sharp senses, I might have trouble detecting an approaching threat in such conditions…"

"Especially since some ice-types' natural abilities can make them harder to spot when it's snowing or hailing," Sera added, her ears drooping slightly.

"Indeed," the Froslass responded, nodding her head. "You have quite the challenge ahead of you, young ones."

"M-M-Maybe you s-s-should reconsider?" the Snorunt suggested, looking at Blitz and his teammates. "Two r-r-rescue teams are already t-t-taking care of the mission, s-s-so there's no need for you t-t-to go on such a d-d-dangerous mission!"

"Aw, don't worry about us," Azure said, patting the Snorunt on the back. "We'll be fine. I told you before that we're pretty strong, didn't I?"

"B-B-But…" the Snorunt stuttered.

"Azure, this isn't simply a matter of being strong enough to defeat our opponents," Blitz said, looking over at the Marill. "They'll certainly be taking advantage of their abilities to hide in the cover of snow to attack us when we least expect it."

"So… Bring items that allow us to keep track of wild Pokémon?" Azure suggested. "Got any Radar Orbs in storage?"

"Hmm, that  _could_  help…" Blitz responded, holding a paw to his chin. "But there's limited space in our treasure bag… and I'm not even sure how many Radar Orbs we'd need…"

"There are times like these when I wish we had X-Ray Specs…" Sera commented, sighing. "I still hope we can get our paws on a pair of those someday…"

"You'll certainly have to choose your items wisely," the Froslass said, looking at Blitz. "But I don't think that'll be a problem for you. You seem like a rational young Shinx, so I'm sure you'll handle that just fine."

"Uh… Thanks," Blitz replied, rubbing the rings on his forelegs together.

"Well, I guess that's everything I know about these unusual conditions…" the Froslass said, looking away for a moment. "Although there is still one more thing that worries me…"

"What is it?" Chiaki asked.

"A certain Pokémon lives somewhere on the mountain…" the Froslass responded. "I wonder if he is okay…"

"You're talking about the Absol who lives there, right?" Blitz asked.

"Yes… I guess Frosty already told you about him," the Froslass responded, nodding her head slightly. "Since he hasn't come down from the mountain in a while, I suppose the village is safe. However, with everything that is happening on the mountain…"

"Yeah, he might be in trouble…" Sera said, her ears drooping slightly.

"Of course, I doubt he'd go down without a fight," the Froslass said, looking thoughtful. "He is quite strong, after all."

"We'll look for him too!" Chiaki said, smiling. "We'll make sure he's okay!"

"Thank you," the Froslass responded, nodding her head slightly. "I wish you luck in your mission."

"Thanks for sharing what you know about the current situation," Blitz said, looking over at the Froslass. "Well, we'd better get going."

"B-B-Be careful…" the Snorunt stuttered, giving the rescue team a concerned glance.

"We will," Blitz responded, smiling and nodding at the Snorunt. "Thanks to you too, for bringing us to the elder."

"Huh?" the Snorunt replied, blinking a few times before blushing slightly. "Oh, um… You're w-w-welcome…"

Chiaki smiled and patted the Snorunt on the head, before he followed his teammates out of the elder's house. After saying good-bye to the elder and the young Snorunt, the group began heading towards the mountain.

* * *

A Kangaskhan Rock was standing close to the entrance of the mystery dungeon, and Blitz was quick to run up to it and begin sorting through the items. While Blitz was focusing on preparations for the mission, the other three rescue team members noticed that it seemed to be snowing much more compared to the light snowfall they'd seen since exiting the Snow-Laden Path and entering the village of ice-type Pokémon. Of course, compared to what kind of weather they would have to face on Mt. Frostbite itself from what both Stella and the Froslass' warnings, this was just a little flurry.

Chiaki looked up at the large mountain before him. A crystal was hidden somewhere on it, and it seemed Erebos had gone out of his way to make it difficult for the rescue teams to reclaim it. Chiaki wondered how far up they'd have to climb in order to find the missing crystal. Could it be hidden at the very top of the mountain?

"I wonder if the other rescue teams are doing okay…" Sera said, staring up at the mountain.

"Well, Sting's team has Frosty, who is familiar with the area," Azure responded, looking over at Sera. "And Mirage's team has Megara, who is a fire-type. She can fight off ice-types with super effective fire attacks and keep her teammates warm!"

"Still…" Sera murmured, looking away for a moment. "It sounds like things are pretty intense up ahead…"

"I think they'll be fine," Azure responded, smiling. "After all, their rescue team badges will activate and teleport them out if anything  _serious_  happens, right?"

"Ah, yes, that's true…" Sera replied, holding a paw to her chin as she thought about it. "The badges can also send out a distress signal to let other rescue teams know if they're in trouble…"

The three of them glanced over at Blitz, who was still busy trying to decide on which items to bring along on the mission. The rescue team badge was as usual hanging off of the treasure bag, much like a regular cute little accessory.

"Doesn't look like the badge is reacting to anything, so they're probably okay, right?" Azure said.

"I hope you're right," Sera responded, nodding her head slightly.

The three of them stared up at the imposing mountain for a few moments, before they eventually heard the sound of Blitz closing the lid on the treasure bag.

"Okay… I think that'll do," Blitz said as he turned to face his teammates. "Are you all ready?"

"I think so," Sera responded, nodding her head.

"I'm ready!" Azure said, punching the air with a stubby paw.

"Yeah, I'm ready too," Chiaki added.

"All right…" Blitz responded, nodding his head. "Don't feel bad if… things get too rough up there, and we have to flee… It's okay…"

"Huh? Don't tell me you're getting cold paws  _now_!" Azure said, looking a bit annoyed. "I guess it  _is_  perfectly understandable, but…"

"I'm not saying that we're just going to head home without trying," Blitz corrected, looking over at Azure. "I'm just saying that if it gets too dangerous, then there's no shame in just escaping the dungeon."

"Hmm… Fine," Azure responded, sighing. "I guess you're right…"

"… Okay, let's go," Blitz said, walking up to the entrance of the dungeon.

Gathered in front of the entrance to the mystery dungeon, the four Pokémon exchanged glances before heading inside. With Blitz leading the way, the team found themselves inside an icy cave. Blitz looked around at the room they were in, while Azure helped listen for any potential threats. No one said a word as they began exploring the rest of the floor.

Parts of the cave floor were icy, and they had to be careful not to slip on it. After a few moments of wandering around exploring the first floor, Blitz suddenly stopped.

"Be quiet…" Blitz whispered to his teammates, keeping his gaze on something nearby. "I don't know if they've noticed us yet…"

Azure's ears twitched as she tried to listen for the wild Pokémon that Blitz seemed to have spotted, but couldn't hear anything other than her own teammates' breathing. Chiaki wondered what was going on, and tried to get a look past Sera and Blitz in front of him. Sera just waited quietly for her cue to make a move.

"It's getting closer…" Blitz whispered, getting into a fighting position.

A Pokémon resembling a black rock covered in ice was floating towards the rescue team, glaring at Blitz with its blue eyes that were visible through two of the holes in the ice covering its orb-like body. As it approached the rescue team, it slowly opened its mouth, a blue light forming between its jaws as it prepared to attack.

Before the wild Glalie could unleash its ice attack, Blitz made his fur shine brightly. Blinded by the light, the Glalie ended up shooting the ice beam too high, missing the rescue team entirely. After the ice beam had harmlessly passed over them, Blitz jumped forward and pushed the still-stunned Glalie back slightly with an electrified tackle.

"Let's take it out before it alerts the other wild Pokémon!" Blitz shouted, keeping his eyes on his opponent.

Sera quickly used her Helping Hand move to give a power boost to her teammates, followed by Chiaki and Azure going in for an attack. Chiaki jumped up and kicked the Glalie, while Azure slammed her tail against it with enough force to send the Glalie flying into one of the dungeon walls. The Glalie gave an angry growl, before falling to the ground.

"… Did it faint?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"I think so…" Blitz responded, cautiously approaching the Glalie to make sure.

"That wasn't too tough," Azure commented. "Maybe this won't be as difficult as we thought?"

"Hmm… I don't know about that," Blitz replied, not taking his eyes off of the Glalie. "We're currently on the first floor, and this was just a single Glalie…"

"He's probably right," Sera said, her ears drooping slightly. "There's no way the entire mission will be  _this_  simple…"

After making sure that their opponent was indeed defeated, Blitz and his teammates continued to explore the dungeon. They soon located the stairs and moved on to the second floor. Blitz continued to carefully watch out for the wild Pokémon, trying to avoid battles if more than one wild Pokémon was within close range at the time. Eventually, they went up a set of stairs only to suddenly find themselves outside of the cave.

From the layout, it was clear that they were still in the mystery dungeon and that this was another floor, although a heavy snowfall was making it a bit harder to see everything clearly.

"Okay… I think this is where things will start to get more difficult," Blitz said, looking around. "Let's keep moving."

The four of them continued to explore the new floor, staying close together and keeping an eye out for wild Pokémon. Azure's ears twitched slightly, and she briefly stopped to look around.

"What's the matter, Azure?" Chiaki asked, turning to look at her.

"I hear something…" Azure responded, looking around.

"Maybe it's just the wind?" Chiaki replied, also glancing around.

"It's  _never_  just the wind," Azure responded, her ears twitching as she tried to figure out where the noise was coming from. "I hear… it's sort of a growling sound…"

"Huh? So, it's a wild Pokémon, then?" Chiaki asked.

"Probably…" Azure responded, nodding.

The two of them continued walking, quickly catching up to Blitz and Sera so they wouldn't get left behind. After a few moments, Azure stopped again.

"There it is again…!" Azure exclaimed, her ears twitching. "It must be close by!"

Blitz had stopped walking, and was now staring up at a much larger Pokémon that had appeared before them. A large bipedal creature with white shaggy fur was glaring down at them with pale purple eyes. It raised one arm, preparing to slam down with a glowing green hand. Blitz managed to leap out of the way of the Abomasnow's Wood Hammer attack, before ramming his body against the Abomasnow's side. The larger Pokémon seemed mostly unfazed by Blitz's attack.

While the Abomasnow's attention was still focused on Blitz, Sera ran towards the Abomasnow as quickly as she could and slammed into the opponent. The Abomasnow gave an angry grunt, before launching several large shards of ice at Sera. The shards were sent flying towards her so fast that she didn't even have time to try to dodge, and was knocked down.

"Ow…!" Sera yelped, flinching as she tried to get back onto her paws.

Chiaki and Azure quickly ran over to Sera, standing between her and the Abomasnow as it walked towards her.

"Don't worry, Sera!" Chiaki said, glancing over his shoulder at her. "We're here for you!"

"I'd rather not get hit by one of those powerful grass attacks, though," Azure commented, with a somewhat nervous smile on her face.

While the Abomasnow's attention was on his teammates, Blitz was contemplating his next move.

 _"I wonder if my Fire Fang attack would be enough to take it down,"_ Blitz thought to himself, looking up at his opponent.  _"It… should be okay to use that… right?"_

Chiaki jumped up and delivered a powerful punch to the Abomasnow's chest, while Azure slammed her tail against one of its legs. Sera had managed to get back onto her feet.

"You okay, Sera?" Azure asked, looking over at her teammate.

"Y-Yeah…" Sera responded, nodding her head. "I'll just walk it off…"

Chiaki swiftly sidestepped as the Abomasnow fired off more ice shards, just barely managing to dodge every single one. Chiaki gave a sigh of relief as the attack ended, while the Abomasnow stomped on the ground in anger. Blitz leaped forward and tackled the Abomasnow once more.

"I think we've got this!" Azure exclaimed, before rolling towards the Abomasnow at a high speed. "Let's finish it!"

Azure rolled into the Abomasnow, bouncing off and rolling into it again with even more force. The Abomasnow tried to slow her down by blowing an icy wind at her, but the attack didn't seem to have much of an effect. Blitz and Sera both rammed into the Abomasnow's side, while Chiaki jumped up and kicked it in the face. Azure soon came crashing into the Abomasnow a third time, finally causing it to faint from their attacks.

"Ah, there we go!" Azure said as she began to slow down, looking a bit dizzy. "Whew…"

Blitz looked up, and noticed that it seemed the snowfall had gotten a bit lighter now that they had defeated the Abomasnow. The group decided to keep moving before anything else happened. As they continued moving through the floors, they had to fight several tough wild Pokémon. But through teamwork, and the consumption of a few of the healing items they had brought along, they managed to keep making progress.

"Hmm… I think the next floor after this one will be in the cave part again," Blitz said as they arrived on a particular floor. "At least, if I've counted these floors correctly…"

The group continued walking for a bit, before noticing that the weather was looking a bit different on this floor. Each of them felt a small as tiny balls of ice hit them from above.

"Ugh, is this hail?" Azure asked, rubbing her head. "How annoying…"

"Well, let's just keep going and find the stairs," Sera responded, trying to keep a positive tone. "Hopefully, it won't be hailing on the next floor."

They kept exploring the floor, trying not to be bothered by the occasional piece of hail landing on them. After a while, Chiaki suddenly stopped, having felt his leg bump into something cold and icy on the ground.

"What is it?" Azure asked as Chiaki bent down to pick up the object that was sticking out from the snow.

Chiaki brushed some snow off of the icy object, and was surprised to see what appeared to be a rescue team badge encased in ice. Azure gasped as she peeked over Chiaki's shoulder and saw what he was holding.

"Is that badge… from one of the other teams?" Azure asked, looking a bit concerned.

"I'm not sure…" Chiaki responded, examining the badge. "It might be…"

"But why would something like that be here like this?" Azure asked. "Did something happen to one of the other two teams!?"

"I-I hope not…" Chiaki responded, starting to worry himself. "We should show this to Blitz… Maybe he can tell who it belongs to."

"Y-Yeah, good idea," Azure replied, nodding.

The two of them ran forward to catch up to their teammates, only to discover that Blitz and Sera were already engaged in battle against three Glalie. Chiaki and Azure exchanged quick glances, before rushing in to assist their friends in battle. Chiaki tucked away the frozen badge away into his scarf, before jumping up and hitting one of the Glalie, causing it to flinch. He then narrowly avoided getting hit by ice beams from the other two Glalie.

Azure fired a strong stream of bubbles from her mouth at one of the Glalie, pushing it back a little. Sera was using her Helping Hand to power up her teammates, while Blitz was charging up electricity to power up his attacks, as well as build up a better resistance to the beams fired by their opponents.

The stairs leading up to the next floor were nearby. If they could just get past the Glalie hovering near them, they could move on.

"They sure like firing those ice beams, huh?" Azure commented, jumping up and slamming her tail against one of the Glalie.

One of the Glalie dropped to the ground as Chiaki knocked it out with a Jump Kick. Blitz and Sera teamed up to try to take down the one in front of the stairs. The two jumped up and tackled the Glalie in near perfect sync. Soon, all three Glalie had been defeated.

"Whew… Good job, everyone," Blitz said, smiling at his teammates. "Let's keep moving."

Blitz and Sera walked up the stairs to the next floor. However, before Chiaki and Azure could follow them, a large icicle suddenly dropped from out of nowhere, landing in front of the stairs to block Chiaki and Azure's path.

"W-What!?" Azure exclaimed, blinking a few times. "What just happened?"

Azure's ears twitched as she realized that something else had entered the room.

A large, brown mammoth-like pig Pokémon had appeared, having gotten into the room unnoticed in the hail. Staring down at Chiaki and Azure, it began preparing another attack.

"Quick! Let's go around the big icicle and catch up to the others!" Azure shouted.

"Okay!" Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

The two of them tried to do just that, only to discover that yet another Glalie had just entered the room from another path.

"Not another one!" Azure whined, looking rather annoyed.

"Watch out!" Chiaki cried out, pushing Azure and himself out of the way of an incoming ice beam attack.

The rolled out of the way of the ice beam, but didn't have much time to relax as a sudden blast of cold wind blew through the room. They had no way of dodging the Mamoswine's Blizzard attack like this.

"Ugh… That's not fair!" Azure complained, glaring at the wild ice-type Pokémon.

"Azure… The stairs…" Chiaki said, pointing towards the staircase, which was now being blocked by the Glalie.

"Doesn't look like these guys aren't going to let us reach it that easily…" Azure responded, sighing. "Guess we'll just have to fight!"

"But…" Chiaki replied, shivering a little from the cold.

"It's the only way we'll be able to reach those stairs," Azure reminded him.

"… All right," Chiaki responded, nodding his head. "Let's go."

Azure let out a stream of bubbles to slow down the Mamoswine, while Chiaki decided to do something about the Glalie blocking their path. Chiaki fired a stream of golden stars from his paws at the Glalie to try and push it back, before aiming for a powerful Jump Kick. However, the Glalie suddenly made a sharp movement to the side, causing Chiaki to miss his attack and crash into one of the walls of the dungeon.

"Chiaki!" Azure cried out, as Chiaki fell to the ground.

Azure slammed her glowing tail against the Mamoswine for quite a bit of damage, before rushing over to check on her teammate.

"Chiaki, are you okay?" Azure asked, shaking Chiaki by the shoulders.

Chiaki did not respond.

"Did he faint…?" Azure muttered, looking up as she realized the Glalie and the Mamoswine were getting closer. "Ah… This is  _so_  not good!"

Azure stood between Chiaki and the two ice-type Pokémon, who were soon joined by an Abomasnow.

"Okay,  _this_  is just too much!" Azure exclaimed, glaring at the ice-types. "Well, I don't  _care_  if you outnumber me! I'm going to protect my friend, no matter how many of you decide to show up!"

The Mamoswine roared and stomped on the ground. The Abomasnow and the Glalie soon joined in, making the ground shake. Azure's ears twitched, and she looked up to see an avalanche headed towards her and Chiaki. Azure tried her best to cover Chiaki in order to protect him from the ice-types' attack with her own body. She closed her eyes, preparing for the impact of the attack.

… Instead, she suddenly felt something pick her up, carrying her away. When she opened her eyes, she and Chiaki had been moved out of the way of the avalanche. A quadruped Pokémon with white fur was standing in front of her and Chiaki, and was facing the ice-type Pokémon.

"It's that Absol…" Azure said, looking up at the white furred Pokémon that had just saved her and Chiaki.

The Absol had dark blue skin on its face, which was devoid of the white fur covering most of its body. It had a dark blue sickle-shaped horn on the right side of its head and a tail resembling a scythe. The Absol was watching the ice-type Pokémon with his red eyes, waiting for one of them to make a move.

Once the Glalie opened its mouth and began preparing for a Blizzard attack, the Absol suddenly leaped at high speed and struck the Glalie with his horn. With a critical attack, the Glalie was knocked out and fell to the ground.

"Nice!" Azure exclaimed, grinning and punching the air. "One down, two to go!"

The Abomasnow launched several razor sharp leaves in the direction of the Absol, but the Absol sensed the incoming attack and moved out of the way. The horn on the side of its head shone with a pink light, before it unleashed a Psycho Cut attack against the Abomasnow and followed up with a Quick Attack. However, while the Absol was focusing on trying to take down the Abomasnow, the Mamoswine was able to launch several shards of ice at the Absol.

The Absol made a pained grunt as the ice shards struck its body. The Mamoswine was about to attack again, when a stream of bubbles struck it.

"I'm still here, you know!" Azure yelled at the Mamoswine, smirking.

With Azure distracting the Mamoswine, the Absol was able to continue focusing on taking out the Abomasnow. The Absol gritted his teeth and walked towards the Abomasnow as it tried to slow him down with an Icy Wind. Once the Abomasnow ceased its Icy Wind attack and tried to slam down on the Absol with a glowing green arm, the Absol moved out of the way of the Wood Hammer attack, before biting down on the Abomasnow's other arm. The Abomasnow made a growling noise as the Absol released its arm.

The Absol finished the Abomasnow off with a powerful Night Slash attack, before running over to help Azure take down the Mamoswine, who was approaching her and the unconscious Chiaki.

"Whew… I don't know how much longer I can keep up the bubble beam attacks…" Azure muttered as she tried to catch her breath.

Azure did her best to block attacks from the Mamoswine by knocking its ice projectiles away with her tail, making sure none of them would hit Chiaki. Her expression brightened as she saw the Absol running over to help her. Seeing the change in Azure's expression, the Mamoswine began to turn around, only for the Absol to strike its side with the claws on one of his paws, following up with a slash from his horn.

"I'll let you finish this," Azure said, panting.

The Absol glanced over at Azure and nodded in acknowledgement, before turning back to face his opponent. The Mamoswine began charging at the Absol, intending to strike with one of its large, white tusks. The Absol waited for the Mamoswine to get close, before stepping to the side and letting the Mamoswine collide with a wall. While the Mamoswine was disoriented from the failed attack, the Absol began whipping up a small whirlwind. As the Mamoswine managed to turn back around, the Absol was running towards him with a Razor Wind blowing and weakening the Mamoswine before the Absol delivered the final blow. His horn coated in dark energy, it struck the Mamoswine with a powerful Night Slash attack, finally taking it down.

Azure gave a sigh of relief as the Mamoswine went down, looking over at Chiaki lying next to her and patting him on the head. She looked up to see the Absol standing in front of them.

"Thanks," Azure said, smiling up at the Absol. "You really saved us there…"

"There is no need to thank me," the Absol responded, looking down at the two younger Pokémon with a stoic expression. "I'm just glad I made it in time."

The Absol leaned down a little, curiously sniffing Azure and looking at the red scarves she and Chiaki were wearing.

"You two… you are rescue team members, aren't you?" the Absol asked.

"Yeah, that's right," Azure responded, nodding her head. "We're looking for a crystal from Axis Tower. They were all stolen a while ago, and one of them is hidden somewhere here on this mountain!"

"I see," the Absol replied, nodding his head slightly. "So, you're looking for it too."

"… Huh?" Azure responded, tilting her head slightly. "What do you mean by that?"

"This isn't the place to talk about that," the Absol said, looking around. "It's not safe here."

"Oh, right," Azure responded, glancing around. "More wild Pokémon might appear…"

"Exactly," the Absol replied, nodding his head. "I'll take you two to a safer location, so that you may rest up from that battle. We can talk there."

"Um… Okay," Azure responded, looking a bit concerned. "But… our teammates have already gone on ahead, and… they're probably really worried about us by now…"

"I'll help you reunite with them once you've recovered a bit more from that battle," the Absol replied.

"… Fair enough," Azure responded, sighing. "All right, let's get out of here."

Azure helped Chiaki get Chiaki onto the Absol's back, before climbing onto it herself. She held tightly onto his fur as he began running at high speed. She wasn't sure where he would take them, but she trusted him. She knew he would keep his promise, and help her and Chiaki reunite with Blitz and Sera.

 _"Blitz… Sera… I'm sure you two are worried sick right now,"_  Azure thought, as she rode on the Absol's back.  _"But we'll catch up to you two soon enough! So, just wait for a little bit, okay?"_

* * *

**End of Chapter 51**


	52. I simply can't ignore someone in trouble.

* * *

Neither of them had said much during the exploration of the last few floors. After somehow getting separated from Chiaki and Azure when moving on to a new floor, Blitz and Sera were eventually forced to move on when they realized their teammates weren't coming. Even though they were worried about their teammates, they couldn't go back the way they came since the stairs vanished behind them the moment they stepped onto the next floor. They could only move forward, as the wild Pokémon would certainly trap them if they stayed in one place for too long. They had to keep moving.

Eventually, they reached a floor with a Kangaskhan rock in it where they could stop and take a break. While Blitz took a moment to sort through their items, Sera just kept staring in the direction they had entered the room from, as if hoping their missing teammates would appear.

"They're… okay, right?" Sera asked, her ears drooping down.

"I hope so," Blitz responded, closing the lid on the treasure bag as he turned to look at Sera.

"What do you think happened?" Sera asked, looking over at Blitz.

"I don't know," Blitz responded, shaking his head. "There's simply no way either of us could know what happened on that floor after we left it…"

The two of them sat there in silence for a few moments.

"No wild Pokémon will appear here…" Sera commented, looking around. "Maybe we could wait here for Chiaki and Azure to catch up…"

"We could, but… I just get the feeling that might take a while…" Blitz responded, frowning.

"So you think we… should just keep going without them?" Sera asked, seeming displeased with this idea.

"We're not going to leave them behind, of course," Blitz responded, shaking his head. "I think… we should try to catch up to one of the other rescue teams. Things should at the very least be easier with their help. And who knows, maybe Chiaki and Azure will catch up while we look for the other teams…"

"That would be nice," Sera replied, her ears perking up just a little. "But, can't we stay here just a few more minutes first? See if they show up?"

"Sure," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "We'll wait for a bit."

The two of them sat on the icy floor, in front of the Kangaskhan rock, taking the time to gather their strength for the next few floors. Blitz looked over at Sera, wondering if she'd be able to keep her focus during the exploration of the next few floors, even if Chiaki and Azure were still missing. Getting distracted in a situation like this was simply too dangerous, which was why Blitz was trying his best not to imagine what might've happened to their friends. If he could stay strong, then maybe Sera would be okay too. They would get through this together, and find their teammates.

Blitz closed his eyes for a moment, trying to clear his mind. His fangs began to heat up as he focused on channeling his power into them. Sera looked over at Blitz as he opened his mouth slightly, seeing the orange light from his glowing fangs.

"Blitz…?" Sera said, tilting her head slightly. "What are you doing?"

The orange glow slowly faded, and Blitz soon opened his eyes and turned to look at Sera.

"In order to keep working towards overcoming my fears… I need to be able to use my Fire Fang and Ice Fang attacks in battle," Blitz explained.

"Ah, I see," Sera responded, nodding her head slightly.

"I've been working on the technique while training at the dojo, so I should be able to use them without doing more damage than necessary," Blitz said, taking a moment to adjust his red scarf. "I'd be even more useful in battle against foes that can resist my electric attacks… For example, my Fire Fang attack would surely be useful in our current situation."

"I suppose it would," Sera replied, looking a bit concerned. "But… you shouldn't force yourself to use those attacks… I mean…"

"I know," Blitz responded, sighing. "My past will remain a part of me, as much as I at times wish I could just forget it all…"

"Blitz…" Sera replied, her ears drooping down.

"As for the future… It doesn't seem quite as scary as it did before," Blitz said, rubbing the rings on his forelegs together. "Of course, there are still things that worry me…"

"I understand that," Sera responded, looking down at the ground.

"I truly appreciate everyone's support," Blitz said, smiling. "But you can't solve all my problems for me."

"I… guess not," Sera responded, holding a paw to her chin. "We can still help, though!"

"Of course," Blitz replied, nodding his head. "However, I need to start doing something about it too. If I just keep telling myself that there's nothing I can do to change things, then… well, I won't be able to change them. It's kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy."

"Makes sense, I guess," Sera responded.

"I'm not really sure why I never realized that until recently," Blitz said, smiling sheepishly and looking away. "Maybe I'm stupider than I thought…"

"Hey, don't say that!" Sera responded, frowning. "You're not stupid…"

The two of them were quiet for a few moments, seeming unsure of what to say.

"So… Do you have any idea about what to do?" Sera eventually asked. "With the whole stuff about the future, I mean."

"Not really," Blitz responded, shaking his head. "I suppose I'd have to return to Lightning Plateau in order to sort some of those things out…"

"Ah, right," Sera replied, nodding her head.

"… You know, I had a talk with Chiaki a few nights ago," Blitz said. "Chiaki talked about how he'd like to stay in Fenix Town with us, but that there may be somewhere else he needs to return to someday…"

"Oh?" Sera replied, tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "I also like living in Fenix Town, with you and everyone else, but… my stay in Fenix Town… was supposed to only be temporarily, you know?"

"… Right," Sera responded, her ears drooping down slightly. "So… Does that mean that whenever you return to Lightning Plateau to sort things out… you won't come back?"

Blitz didn't seem to sure how to answer that.

"… Well, I guess your mother and your sister are there, and they might want you to stay with them…" Sera said, sighing. "I understand that."

Blitz quietly nodded his head.

"… I… can't really imagine what living far away from your family is like," Sera said, looking down at the ground. "I've always been surrounded by my older siblings… they're always there, waiting for me to return home from my missions."

Blitz smiled as he listened to what Sera had to say.

"If you decided to stay with your family, I'd… understand," Sera said, closing her eyes for a moment. "Of course, I'd miss you, but…"

"Well, there's no need to worry about such things just yet," Blitz responded, reassuringly touching Sera's paw with his own. "It'll definitely take a while before I'm ready to return to Lightning Plateau, so… let's just focus on the things we need to do now."

"… Okay," Sera replied, smiling at Blitz.

"On that note, I think we've waited long enough…" Blitz said, getting up. "Even though Chiaki and Azure haven't caught up yet, we should keep going."

"… Yeah, I guess we should," Sera responded, her ears drooping slightly.

Sera got up on her feet, and followed Blitz as he headed for the path leading deeper into the mystery dungeon. They looked back in the direction they had come from one more time, before stepping into the next part of the dungeon to continue their search.

* * *

Chiaki could see it. Shining from inside a large block of ice was a light blue crystal. Several ice spikes of various sizes were surrounding it, making it a bit difficult to get close enough to get a better look. There was no way these spikes had formed naturally. Chiaki assumed it had been set up this way either by some of the wild Pokémon living on the mountain using their ice attacks, or by Erebos himself using his magic. If it was the latter, then the ice itself was likely enchanted in some way…

From within the ice, the crystal was calling out to Chiaki.

Chiaki glanced around at the ice spikes, nervous about potentially triggering a trap, since he had no way of knowing what Erebos might've done. However, he had to get to that crystal. He just  _had_  to…

_"… aki…"_

He nervously took a step forward.

_"…ey… ki…"_

However, his vision was getting fuzzy. He felt dizzy.

_"Ca… u… ear… me?"_

He couldn't move. Had his body suddenly frozen?

_"... up!"_

Wait… This voice…

_"… Chiaki!"_

It was a familiar voice. One he knew well. But where was it coming from? He barely seemed to notice that his surroundings were fading away as he tried to find it…

* * *

Azure was sitting by the still unconscious Chiaki's side, waiting for him to wake up. As he seemed to be coming to his senses, the concerned expression on Azure's face seemed to become mixed with a hint of impatience, as she began calling to him to help him return to consciousness. As Chiaki groaned and slowly opened his eyes, Azure smiled and patted his head.

"Ah, you're awake!" Azure said, sighing in relief. "I was wondering how long you'd keep me waiting!"

"… A-Azure?" Chiaki mumbled, glancing around at his surroundings. "Huh? Where… is this?"

The last thing Chiaki remembered was that he and Azure had been fighting against wild ice type Pokémon in the mystery dungeon. But now the two of them were inside an icy cave that was seemingly  _not_  a part of the dungeon, lying on a pile of leaves arranged on the ground as a bed.

"Well, after you accidentally knocked yourself out during our battle against those three wild ice-type Pokémon, I was in a bit of a pinch," Azure began explaining. "I wasn't even sure how I was going to get us out of  _that_  one."

"… So, what did you do?" Chiaki asked, sitting up.

"I kept fighting, of course," Azure responded, grinning. "I'm not the type to give up, you know."

"Yes, of course," Chiaki replied, nodding his head.

"However, even with my strength and stuff, I'm not sure how long I would've lasted," Azure continued, sighing in relief. "So, it's a good thing Wynn showed up when he did."

"… Wynn?" Chiaki inquired, tilting his head slightly.

"The Absol who lives here," Azure clarified, grinning. "He's the one who brought us here, after helping me deal with those wild Pokémon."

"Ah, I see," Chiaki responded, smiling and nodding his head. "So he saved us…"

"Yep," Azure replied, nodding. "You should've seen him in action."

"Where is he now?" Chiaki asked, looking around. "I need to thank him…"

"He and I talked for a bit, and then he headed back outside," Azure responded. "Said there was something else he needed to take care of… He said he'd be back soon, though."

"Oh, is that so?" Chiaki replied, sighing.

"So, how are you feeling?" Azure asked, curiously examining her teammate. "Does it hurt anywhere?"

"Ah… Now that you mention it, I guess I'm still feeling a bit sore…" Chiaki responded, looking down at his hind legs. "I'm sure I can walk it off, though… Huh, Azure? Where are you going?"

Azure had suddenly gotten up and run off somewhere. Chiaki curiously looked over in the direction she had gone, as she returned carrying something in her paws. As she sat back down on the leaves and put down what she'd been carrying, Chiaki saw that it was a few Oran berries.

"Where'd you find those?" Chiaki asked.

"Wynn said to help ourselves to anything we need while he's out," Azure responded, smiling at Chiaki. "He's got plenty of items to spare, so he said not to worry about it!"

"Oh, I see," Chiaki replied, picking up one of the Oran berries. "Well, if it's really okay, then…"

Chiaki quickly ate the Oran berries, soon regaining more of his energy.

"I wonder how Blitz and Sera are doing…" Azure said, sighing. "Once Wynn gets back, we should probably try to catch up to them."

"Agreed," Chiaki responded, nodding his head. "I'm sure they're okay, though. We got separated when we were looking for the crystal from Nightmirror Forest, and we all managed to get through that and reunite without too much trouble."

"I hope you're right," Azure replied. "Although… Didn't you guys tell me that the ghost-type Pokémon in the mystery dungeon of Nightmirror Forest didn't actually fight you because they needed your help, or something?"

"Uh, yeah," Chiaki responded, nodding his head. "They needed our help to save Nereza from Erebos' spell."

"So, the situation was a bit different that time," Azure said.

"I guess so," Chiaki responded, rubbing the back of his head. "But even so, I'm sure Blitz and Sera are okay!"

Azure seemed like she was about to say something, when she suddenly heard something. Her ears twitched as she turned towards the tunnel.

"What is it?" Chiaki asked, noticing Azure's reaction. "Ooh, is Wynn back?"

"Sounds like it," Azure responded, listening closely. "And… he's not alone."

"Huh?" Chiaki replied, tilting his head.

"Those voices…" Azure said, looking surprised.

Chiaki followed Azure out of the room and headed towards the entrance of the cave, where they saw Wynn helping Mirage and her teammates into the cave. Mirage's fur was messier than normal and had small pieces of ice sticking to it, and she was carrying Cordyceps under one arm. Chiaki and Azure couldn't tell if Cordyceps was conscious or not as Mirage carried him, but he seemed to at least be shivering from the cold. Megara was walking close to her teammates, seeming to be trying to help them warm up.

"It really is them!" Azure exclaimed, looking over at the other rescue team.

"Huh? You two… you're here too?" Mirage said, seeming out of breath.

"Mirage… What happened to you guys?" Chiaki asked, looking at the three of them with concern.

"Well, to make a long story short…" Mirage replied, sighing. "Ice types kept giving us trouble, Megara ran out of energy for her fire attacks, not enough healing items…"

"Ugh, I'm sorry, guys," Megara said, looking down. "I guess I… overestimated my abilities…"

"The mushroom… is sorry too…" Cordyceps muttered, groaning in pain. "It's because of me that… our supply of Reviver Seeds was depleted so quickly…"

"Heh… I messed up too, you know?" Mirage said, putting Cordyceps down on the ground. "I was the one who decided we'd go on this mission, and then I ended up losing my cool with everything that kept happening…"

"Sounds like… you guys had a rough time, to say the least," Azure commented, frowning a bit. "Those ice types sure are annoying…"

"I guess you ran into trouble with them too?" Mirage inquired, before realizing something as she looked around. "Wait… Where's Blitz and Sera?"

"We got separated," Azure explained, sighing. "Some stupid ice-types showed up out of nowhere while we were trying to move on to the next floor…"

"Ah… I see," Mirage responded, blinking a few times. "So, they're still out there?"

"Yeah," Azure replied, nodding. "We'll be heading back out again soon to try to find them."

"Are you sure you've rested up enough?" Wynn asked, looking at Chiaki and Azure with a stoic expression.

"Our friends are probably worried," Chiaki said, looking up at the Absol. "The sooner we can find them, the better."

"Plus, we wanna make sure they're okay too!" Azure added. "We don't have time to sit around in here!"

"… Very well," Wynn responded, nodding his head once. "We'll make our preparations, and then I will help you two find your friends."

"Thank you so much!" Chiaki said, smiling up at Wynn.

Wynn led the other Pokémon over to where he kept his item hoard, so that he, Chiaki and Azure could stock up on the supplies they needed before heading back into the mystery dungeon. Wynn also let Mirage know that she and her teammates were free to help themselves to whichever items they needed in the meantime. As they were making the last few preparations, Azure looked over at Mirage and her teammates.

"So… While we're out there looking for our friends and the crystal, what will you guys do once you've rested up?" Azure asked.

"I don't know," Mirage responded, shaking her head. "We may have no other options but to head back out there, as we lost our rescue team badge somewhere…"

"Your rescue team badge?" Azure replied, her eyes widening a bit in surprise before turning over to Chiaki. "Hey, could that be…?"

"Oh!" Chiaki exclaimed, quickly pulling out the frozen rescue team badge he had picked up earlier out of his scarf. "I found this earlier! It's yours, isn't it?"

"Whoa, that's it!" Mirage replied, grinning as she took the badge back from Chiaki. "Thanks! I owe ya one!"

"No problem," Chiaki responded, smiling back at Mirage. "I'm just glad you were able to get it back, even if it's still frozen…"

"Leave that to me!" Megara said, holding out her hand. "I'll have that thawed out in no time!"

Mirage nodded her head and handed the badge to Megara. The fire duck held the badge between her clawed hands, letting her own body heat begin melting the ice around the badge.

"… This should be sufficient," Wynn said, looking over the items he had decided to bring along. "You two, are you ready to head out?"

"You bet I am!" Azure responded, grinning.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Chiaki replied, nodding his head.

"Very well," Wynn responded, nodding in acknowledgement. "Then, we should get going."

"Good luck, you guys," Mirage said. "We'll rest up here, and then… I guess we'll either head back to Fenix Town, or we might try to catch up to you guys…"

"The mushroom would prefer the first option," Cordyceps commented.

"Be careful out there!" Megara said, still working on thawing out the badge.

"Don't worry about us!" Chiaki responded, waving to the other rescue team. "We'll be fine!"

"Yeah, so you guys just take it easy for now," Azure said.

Wynn led the way as he, Chiaki and Azure headed outside and back into the mystery dungeon. He didn't spend much time deciding which way to go, and seemed to have a clear idea of which path would get them to the next floor with minimal trouble. It was likely due to the natural precognitive abilities of his species that he knew which paths would lead to the most danger, and thus how to avoid it.

"I wonder how far Blitz and Sera have made it by now," Azure said, helping Chiaki and Wynn listen for potential threats. "Sting's team is also around somewhere, aren't they? I wonder if any of them have gotten close to the crystal yet…"

"The crystal…" Chiaki muttered, holding a paw to his chin.

"Huh? Is something on your mind?" Azure asked.

"I… I saw it," Chiaki responded, blinking a few times.

"… Saw what?" Azure inquired, looking a bit confused.

"The crystal," Chiaki responded, closing his eyes for a moment. "It was inside this block of ice, and… there were these ice spikes around it, and…"

"Wait,  _what_?" Azure replied, her eyes widening. "What are you talking about? How can you possibly have seen the crystal?"

"I… I don't know," Chiaki responded, shaking his head. "It's like… it appeared to me in a dream…"

"Appeared to you… in a dream?" Azure replied, staring at Chiaki incredulously. "Are you messing with me right now?"

"N-No! I wouldn't!" Chiaki exclaimed, turning around to face Azure. "I really did see it!"

Azure didn't seem to know how to respond to this. Chiaki couldn't blame her, of course. He didn't really understand it himself.

"Hey, you two," Wynn said, stopping and looking at the two smaller Pokémon following behind him. "We need to keep moving."

"Ah, I'm sorry!" Chiaki responded, turning back around.

"Don't worry about it," Wynn replied, shaking his head. "Let's just keep going."

Chiaki and Azure continued following Wynn, occasionally having to fight off wild Pokémon as usual.

"Seriously, I don't get it," Azure said. "Why would you have a dream about the crystal?"

"Like I said, I don't really understand it myself…" Chiaki responded, shaking his head. "It just… happened."

Azure was quiet for a few moments, before speaking up again.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't necessarily mean anything," Azure said, shrugging slightly. "I mean… dreams are just the stuff we've been thinking about being tossed about inside our minds while we sleep, right?"

"Um… I guess?" Chiaki responded, tilting his head slightly.

"So, since we came here to look for that crystal, maybe it's not all that strange that you'd randomly dream about it, right?" Azure suggested.

"I guess not…" Chiaki replied, blinking a few times as he held a paw to his chin. "Um… The crystal in my dream… it was a light blue color…"

"… Okay?" Azure responded.

"I don't think we've seen a crystal that color yet…" Chiaki said, glancing at Azure behind him.

"The crystal we found in the Sapphire Sea was blue," Azure responded.

"Yeah, but that one was a darker blue," Chiaki replied, closing his eyes for a moment to try to picture the scene from his dream. "The one in my dream was a lighter blue…"

"Huh," Azure responded, taking a moment to think about. "Hey, did Stella say what color it was when she described her vision?"

"Um… I don't think she did…" Chiaki replied, glancing around. "… Did she?"

"Well… Either way, it probably doesn't mean anything," Azure said. "We don't even know for sure if the actual crystal is the same color as the one you saw in your dream."

"Hmm… Yeah, you have a point there," Chiaki responded, nodding his head slightly.

As Chiaki and Azure talked, Wynn quietly listened to their conversation. He glanced down at Chiaki, a somber expression crossing his face for a moment as he observed the young Mienfoo. However, they had to keep moving forward. Sooner or later, they would be able to catch up to their teammates.

"Um… Wynn?" Chiaki said, looking up at the Absol.

"Is something wrong?" Wynn asked, glancing down at Chiaki.

"No, nothing's wrong…" Chiaki responded, shaking his head. "I just… I never really introduced myself properly, did I? My name is Chiaki!"

"… I see," Wynn replied, turning his gaze back to the path ahead.

"And I… I wanted to thank you properly for helping us earlier," Chiaki said, smiling up at Wynn. "So… Thank you!"

"Well… I couldn't just stand by and do nothing," Wynn responded. "I simply can't ignore someone in trouble."

"I understand that feeling," Chiaki replied, still smiling.

Wynn gave a slight nod in acknowledgement. They kept on walking, doing their best to reach the next few floors. Chiaki hoped they would catch up to Blitz and Sera soon. He also wondered how Sting and his teammates were doing. Frosty was familiar with this part of the region, so perhaps he knew some tricks for how to make it through the area safely, much like Wynn. If so, then at least he didn't need to worry about them, right?

Shortly after arriving on one floor, Azure suddenly stopped, her ears twitching.

"… Was that Blitz just now?" Azure said, looking around.

"Huh? You heard Blitz?" Chiaki asked, turning to Azure. "He's on this floor?"

"I think so…" Azure responded, her ears still twitching. "I thought I heard him roar…"

"You two, watch out!" Wynn suddenly exclaimed.

Azure turned around to see a Glalie approaching. It opened its mouth as if to prepare an attack, only for Chiaki to beat it to the punch by jumping up and striking it with a paw, knocking it back slightly and causing it to flinch.

"Hey, don't disturb me, you big lump of ice!" Azure shouted, before spraying the Glalie with a stream of bubbles from her mouth.

Wynn quickly ran over and knocked the Glalie down to the ground with a strike from his horn. After making sure the Glalie had fainted, Wynn closed his eyes for a moment, seeming to be focusing on something.

"… If I'm right, then… there are a lot of wild Pokémon over in that direction," Wynn said, opening his eyes and looking towards one of the paths. "If your teammates are also on this floor, then chances are that we'll find them if we go there."

"Huh? Are they in trouble?" Chiaki asked, looking up at Wynn.

"They might be," Wynn responded, looking over at Chiaki and Azure. "The wild Pokémon here, especially in their current state, do seem to be actively seeking out anyone from the outside and force them out of the dungeon."

"I see," Azure replied. "So, that's why you think they might be over there…"

"Yes, I'd say there's a good chance of that," Wynn responded, nodding his head. "Even if they're not in any imminent danger just yet, it'd probably be best if we went over there as quickly as we can."

"What are we waiting for, then?" Azure asked, bouncing impatiently on her feet. "Let's go!"

"I'm ready too!" Chiaki said, clenching his fists. "Please take us there!"

"Very well," Wynn responded, nodding his head. "Come on, this way."

And so, Wynn led the way as they headed down the path that would hopefully lead to their friends. Once they were all reunited, they could focus on finding the crystal that still remained hidden somewhere on this mountain. Chiaki was certain that with Wynn's help, they would definitely succeed.

* * *

**End of Chapter 52**


	53. I have this feeling...

* * *

Getting through a mystery dungeon full of tough ice-type Pokémon when half of your team was missing was no easy task, but Blitz and Sera had managed to make some decent progress after resuming their adventure. They had hoped to at least catch up to one of the other two rescue teams exploring the dungeon and from there work out a plan for how to deal with the current situation. Blitz wanted to avoid battles as much as possible until then, but the wild Pokémon just kept coming after them, making it difficult to get anywhere without fighting for it. As a result, he and Sera were starting to run low on healing items.

Blitz couldn't help but feel like his difficulty bringing himself to use his Fire Fang attack directly against his opponents were part of the reason he and Sera had ended up in this predicament. After all, he probably could've ended some of those battles faster if he had just used that super effective attack.

"Maybe we… should've just stayed in that safe room…" Sera said, panting.

"Are you okay?" Blitz asked, glancing at Sera following behind him.

"I'll be fine…" Sera responded, shaking some snow out of her fur.

Blitz nodded his head in acknowledgement, before turning his full attention back to trying to make it through the floor they were currently on.

The sound of the footsteps of a larger Pokémon that seemed to be approaching from behind made Blitz wince, but he knew he had to remain calm. Taking a deep breath, he simply continued walking. If nothing else, he would do his best to protect Sera.

"Come on, this way," Blitz said, hurriedly moving further down the path.

Parts of the floor were slippery, so they had to try not to fall as they made their way through the area. They soon found themselves in another room, but the stairs were nowhere to be seen.

"Okay, guess we're… huh?" Blitz said, looking over at the only other path leading out of the room.

"Is something wrong?" Sera asked.

A large block of ice was blocking the other path, preventing the two from continuing forward from there. They still had the option of going back the way they came, but first they would have to deal with the Mamoswine that had been following them all this way. Seeing as the Mamoswine was also part ground-type, Blitz wasn't looking forward to fighting it, especially if it knew moves that could hit everything in the room.

"This might be bad…" Blitz muttered, turning around to look at the Mamoswine. "Did they lead us into a trap…?"

"Let's just try to take it down as fast as possible!" Sera said, taking a fighting stance.

"R-Right…" Blitz responded, nodding his head.

The Mamoswine roared as five floating rocks glowing with an ancient power materialized above it. As the Mamoswine stomped on the ground, the floating rocks went flying towards Blitz and Sera. Luckily, the two of them were able to dodge the attack. The rocks crashed against the ground, disintegrating on impact. Sera then closed her eyes for a moment, while Blitz made his fur glow brightly in order to temporarily blind the Mamoswine.

Sera dashed forward and tackled the Mamoswine while it was still dazzled by the light. Blitz stared up at the Mamoswine, trying to figure out what to do. His electric attacks were no good against a ground-type Pokémon, and unless he was willing to use his fangs, he didn't have a lot of options.

"Ugh… No time for this…" Blitz muttered under his breath.

Blitz ran up and rammed into one of the Mamoswine's legs, in order to get some more damage in before the Mamoswine had the chance to attack. The Mamoswine roared and angrily stomped on the ground, dropping large icicles down on the two.

As they moved out of the way, Sera felt something appear underneath her paws.

"Ah!" Sera yelped as smoke erupted from the trap she had just stepped on.

"Ah, that's…!" Blitz exclaimed, as the smoke began to clear.

More wild Pokémon had suddenly appeared in the room Blitz and Sera were in, having been drawn in by the trap Sera had triggered.

"This is bad…!" Blitz muttered, looking around.

"What do we do?" Sera asked, looking over at Blitz.

Blitz kept glancing around at the wild Pokémon that had appeared, trying to figure out how to handle the situation. Did they have any items that could help…?

Before he had the chance to think about it further, a Glalie fired several small shards of ice in his direction. Unable to dodge in time, Blitz was knocked back and sent sliding towards a wall. Blitz groaned in pain before getting back on his feet. Sera tried to run to his side, but her path was blocked off by two other wild Pokémon. Making a growling noise, she hoped to weaken the power of the wild Pokémon's attacks a little, but she knew it wouldn't be enough.

However, at that moment…

"Leave them alone, you jerks!" a familiar female voice cried out.

Blitz and Sera perked their ears up, and some of the wild Pokémon turned around to try to find out where that voice came from. The next thing they knew, a blue blur struck one of the Glalie, before rolling at a high speed towards a Weavile, knocking it off its feet. It then began rolling towards the second Glalie in the room, only to suddenly be telekinetically lifted into the air by a purple, humanoid Pokémon looking like it was wearing a red dress.

"Hey, I wasn't done yet!" Azure protested, flailing in mid-air.

Before the Jynx that had interrupted Azure's Rollout attack could do anything else, she was suddenly struck from behind by a powerful Night Slash attack from the horn on the side of Wynn's head, knocking her out instantly and causing Azure to drop back onto the ground.

"Azure!" Sera exclaimed, running over to her teammate. "You're here!"

"Sorry we're late!" Azure responded, grinning. "But hey, at least we got here in time!"

Most of the wild Pokémon had turned their attention to Wynn, who seemed unperturbed by the looks they were giving him. The Weavile suddenly lunged towards Wynn, only to be knocked out of the air by Chiaki suddenly leaping forward to block the attack with his own.

"I'm here too!" Chiaki said as he landed on his feet, smiling and waving to his teammates.

"Chiaki…" Sera responded, sighing in relief. "Thank goodness… You're both okay…"

"Sorry to worry you guys!" Azure said, nonchalantly knocking out the still-stunned Weavile with her tail.

"It's all right," Sera responded, smiling at her friends. "I'm just glad to see you two again!"

"We're glad to see you and Blitz again too!" Chiaki said, smiling back at Sera.

Blitz let out a powerful roar to push back one of the wild Pokémon blocking his path, before running over to his teammates.

"That Absol…" Blitz said, looking over at Wynn. "He's the one they told us about, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is," Azure responded, grinning. "His name is Wynn. He helped us out."

"I see," Blitz replied, smiling as he watched Wynn take down one of the Glalie. "Well, why don't we take out the rest of these wild Pokémon, and then you guys can tell us more?"

"I'm already on it!" Azure shouted, the orb on her tail glowing as she rushed back into battle.

Blitz, Sera and Chiaki exchanged glances, before nodding their heads and running over to join the battle.

* * *

After finally taking down the last of the wild Pokémon and moving onto a new floor, Chiaki and Azure explained what had happened, while Wynn shared some of the items he had brought along from his own storage to help Blitz and Sera recover from the battle. He even allowed to Blitz to take some of the items to replace the ones he'd used over the course of the exploration so far. Blitz was a bit reluctant to accept the offer at first, but Azure and Chiaki eventually convinced him to do so.

"… I see," Blitz said, listening to Chiaki and Azure's explanation. "So you met up with Mirage's rescue team…"

"Yep," Azure responded, nodding. "Wynn saved them too."

"Well, I'm glad they're safe," Sera replied, wagging her tail.

"Still no sign of Sting's team, though…" Blitz said, holding a paw to his chin. "So, I guess they must be further ahead…"

"Probably," Chiaki responded, nodding his head. "I wonder how far they've made it… Could they have found the crystal already?"

"Good question…" Blitz replied, tilting his head slightly to the side. "I think we should probably keep looking for them, just in case…"

"Agreed," Wynn said, looking over at Blitz. "I have this feeling…"

"What kind of feeling?" Chiaki inquired, looking up at Wynn.

"I'm not sure," Wynn responded, shaking his head. "Regardless, I'll continue to accompany you all the rest of the way."

"Awesome!" Azure said, grinning at Wynn. "With you around, the rest of this dungeon will be a breeze!"

"Don't let your guard down, Azure," Blitz commented, giving her a look.

"I won't," Azure replied, her ears twitching slightly. "I'll let you know if I hear something!"

"Good," Blitz responded, smiling at Azure. "Well then… Let's go."

With renewed energy, Blitz and his teammates continued their exploration, Wynn following closely behind. Surely they had to be getting close to their goal?

Wynn stayed mostly quiet as they climbed higher, but he kept glancing down at Chiaki. Chiaki did notice, but didn't say anything about it, even if he did wonder why Wynn kept looking at him like that.

"… Do you think the wild Pokémon here will return to normal once we've taken back the crystal?" Chiaki wondered out loud.

"I don't know," Blitz responded, glancing over at his teammates following behind him. "I don't think the crystals themselves were enchanted. So far, it has either been part of the area itself or some of the Pokémon in the dungeon where it was hidden that were cursed, in order to make it difficult for anyone who tried to reclaim the crystals…"

"Ah, I guess you're right…" Chiaki replied, holding a paw to his chin. "So, retrieving the crystal won't necessary return things to normal here…"

A worried expression crossed Chiaki's face as he looked up at Wynn.

"If the wild Pokémon don't return to normal… Will you be okay?" Chiaki said.

"There's no need to worry about me," Wynn responded, glancing around. "Aside from being more persistent in chasing down Pokémon that aren't part of the dungeon, they're not any stronger than they normally are."

"Ah, I see…" Chiaki replied, seeming a bit relieved.

"What really worries me about these wild Pokémon's behavior is the possibility that it might endanger the village near this mountain if it continues," Wynn said, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Oh! I didn't even think of that!" Chiaki exclaimed.

"Thankfully, I haven't sensed any signs of such a thing happening in the near future," Wynn said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Of course, that doesn't mean I can just relax for now…"

"… Well, I certainly hope nothing bad happens to the village," Chiaki responded, looking down at the ground.

Wynn just nodded his head in response. They just kept following the rest of the team for a few moments, before Wynn suddenly spoke up again.

"So, how many of the Axis Tower crystals have been recovered?" Wynn asked.

"Huh? Oh, we've got five of them so far," Chiaki responded, looking up at Wynn. "Once we get the one from here, there'll only be two more left to find!"

"... I see," Wynn replied, nodding his head.

"Hopefully we'll be able to return them all to Axis Tower before the distortions get too out of hand…" Chiaki said. "And as for Erebos, that's up to Samara… I wonder if my memory will return once he's been dealt with…"

"Your memory…?" Wynn inquired, looking down at Chiaki.

"Ah, yeah… I don't really remember anything about my past," Chiaki explained, rubbing his head. "I think Erebos might've done something to me… That's the only explanation we can think of, anyways…"

"I see…" Wynn responded, seeming as if he had something on his mind.

The group continued moving through the dungeon. Eventually, Wynn stopped in front of a set of stairs.

"We're almost at the top," Wynn said, looking at the stairs. "The crystal you've been looking for is probably there… However, I get the feeling that we'll have to face one more challenge before we can obtain it."

"Of course," Azure responded, shrugging slightly. "That's basically how it works, right? I wouldn't expect anything less, really…"

Blitz took out some items from the bag and handed them out to his teammates, so they could all have their full strength when they headed to the next floor. Wynn kept quietly looking at the stairs as he waited for Blitz and his teammates to finish their preparations for the challenge ahead.

"Okay… Is everyone ready?" Blitz asked, looking over at his teammates.

"I certainly am!" Azure replied, grinning.

"I'm ready too," Sera said, smiling at her teammates.

"Me too!" Chiaki responded, raising his paw.

"All right…" Blitz said, looking over at Wynn. "Looks like everyone's good to go."

"Then let's head up there," Wynn responded, glancing at Blitz and his teammates for a moment before turning his gaze back to the stairs.

Chiaki thought Wynn seemed a bit anxious. Just what exactly was waiting for them beyond those stairs? There was only one way to find out…

* * *

Wynn was the first to head up the stairs, reaching the summit of Mt. Frostbite. As Blitz and his teammates arrived shortly afterwards, they saw Wynn already running up to help a familiar Beartic.

"Hey, that's Frosty!" Sera exclaimed, her ears perking up.

"What's going on here?" Blitz wondered out loud, as Frosty was standing near some rocks, seemingly hiding from something up ahead.

As the group headed up to check on Frosty, Chiaki noticed that there seemed to be an awful lot of large ice spikes stuck to the ground, with even more visible beyond Frosty's hiding spot. Were they made of regular ice, or was it ice created from Erebos' magic?

"Grr… I thought nobody was going to show up…" Frosty said, seeming a bit relieved. "I seriously didn't know what to do…"

"What happened, Frosty?" Blitz asked, looking up at the polar bear Pokémon.

"After somehow making it through the dungeon, we finally arrived here…" Frosty began to explain. "We went a bit further ahead, and there we saw it… the crystal…"

"You found it!?" Chiaki exclaimed.

"Yeah…" Frosty replied, nodding his head. "It's frozen in ice, surrounded by these huge ice spikes and so on..."

Wynn peeked past Frosty's hiding spot and looked over towards the large ice crystal surrounded by ice spikes. Within the ice, one could faintly see something light blue shimmering. However, there was something else that Wynn noticed nearby, and he gasped as he saw what it was.

"Is something wrong, Wynn?" Chiaki asked, walking over to see what had caught the Absol's attention.

Blitz, Sera and Azure joined the others trying to see what it was, and were shocked to see a certain Beedrill and a certain Wigglytuff, both trapped inside large blocks of ice.

"Sting and Melody are…!" Sera said, taking a few steps back.

"A bunch of ice-type Pokémon attacked us when we tried to get close to the crystal…" Frosty explained, clenching his fist. "They managed to freeze Sting and Melody… I couldn't get close enough to free them because there were too many of those wild Pokémon in the way… I somehow managed to get past them and hide back here…"

"And they haven't tried to attack you over here?" Blitz asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yeah, that  _is_  strange, considering how the wild Pokémon we fought on the way here acted…" Frosty responded, sighing. "Not that there's much I can do on my own in this situation anyways… Couldn't even signal for help since Sting has the badge…"

"I think I can hear something moving nearby…" Azure said, her ears twitching. "Those wild Pokémon are definitely just waiting to attack if we head out there…"

Wynn had quietly been observing the situation, preparing himself for battle. After all, they would certainly have to fight in order to rescue the two frozen rescue team Pokémon and claim the crystal. However, there was one other thing that somehow felt off, and if his sixth sense was right, it had something to do with the ice that the crystal was sealed in.

"I don't think we'll be much safer if we just stay here…" Blitz said, looking around. "They could ambush us at any moment…"

"Frosty, do you need any berries or medicine before we head in?" Chiaki asked, looking up at the Beartic.

"Nah, I think I'm good," Frosty replied, shaking his head and smiling. "I couldn't do anything before, but now that you guys are here, I'm sure we can get this done!"

As the group began moving closer to the ice containing the crystal, Sera used her Helping Hand move to power up her teammates in preparation for the battle. Wynn suddenly stopped, as eight Glalie suddenly appeared and fired ice beams towards the group from several directions. Wynn managed to block one of the beams with his horn, while Chiaki pulled Sera out of the way of the attacks and Frosty used his own body to shield Blitz and Azure from the attacks.

Wynn dashed forward, hitting one Glalie with a powerful Night Slash. Azure had started firing her bubble beam attacks at random Glalie as they tried to move closer to the group, trying to push them back a bit. However, an Abomasnow's arm suddenly blocked Azure's attack, and it began to hail as two Abomasnow revealed their presence.

While Blitz and his teammates were mostly annoyed by this turn of events, Frosty seemed pleased with this development.

"Hail, huh?" Frosty said, smirking. "Oh, you just made a huge mistake there!"

Before anyone knew it, Frosty had vanished from sight. One of the Glalie didn't even have time to react when Frosty suddenly came charging towards it at high speed. Frosty punched the Glalie with enough force to knock it into one of the other Glalie, causing both to momentarily fall to the ground. However, as Frosty was looking satisfied with his work, he suddenly became aware of the fact that he wasn't the only one there to have taken advantage of the hail storm, as something hard struck him from behind.

Frosty let out a pained grunt, and turned around to see the Mamoswine that had just attacked him. He quickly rolled out of the way before the Mamoswine could stomp on him.

In the meantime, Wynn kept moving as quickly as he could to avoid ice beams, ice shards and other such attacks being fired in his direction. A few of the attacks grazed his back, but he just kept running. He didn't see any reason to worry just yet. If things got too bad, he could use a certain move to take them down. Hopefully, things wouldn't go that far.

Azure had mostly been making use of her ranged attacks up until now, but as a few of the ice types were starting to get closer to them, she figured it was time to show her true strength with some physical attacks.

"Back me up, guys!" Azure shouted, before rolling towards the wild Pokémon at high speed.

One of the Abomasnow tried to block Azure's path with its arm, only to flinch as Chiaki suddenly leapt forward and punched it. Before it could recover, Azure rammed into the Abomasnow, bouncing off and continuing rolling in a different direction towards one of the Glalie. Chiaki smiled and waved at Azure as she rolled away, before turning back to continue fighting the Abomasnow.

Blitz had managed to momentarily stun two Glalie by blinding them with his brightly glowing fur, letting Sera run up and tackle one of them. Shortly afterwards, Azure came rolling and slammed into the other Glalie, knocking it down to the ground.

Frosty had momentarily stepped away from the Mamoswine so he could help the others take down some of the other wild Pokémon. He had already managed to defeat one of the Glalie by dropping several rocks on it. In doing so, he had managed to divert the attention of two other Glalie that had been focusing their attacks on Wynn. Frosty continued to make use of the hail to dodge the two Glalie's attempts to headbutt or bite him.

In the meantime, Azure had managed to take out another one of the Glalie with her Rollout attack. Coming to a stop, Azure's ears twitched as she heard something behind her, allowing her to jump out of the way of the Mamoswine attempting to run her over.

"Nice try," Azure said with a smirk as the Mamoswine ran right past her.

Blitz and Sera had gone to assist Chiaki, who had gotten into trouble in his own when one of the Glalie had managed to hit him with an ice shard attack while he was still focused on taking down one of the Abomasnow. As the Abomasnow was about to slam one of its arms down on Chiaki, Sera managed to run over and pull Chiaki out of the way just before the attack could connect. Before the Abomasnow could react to this, Blitz dashed forward and hit it with an electrified tackle. The electric attack only did a small amount of damage to the Abomasnow.

"Thanks, Sera," Chiaki said as he sat up, smiling at his teammate.

"No problem!" Sera responded, smiling back.

Blitz moved out of the way as the Abomasnow launched several sharp-edged leaves towards him. Once the Abomasnow had ceased its attack, Blitz tried to blind it with his glowing fur, but the Abomasnow seemed to have realized what Blitz intended to do and covered its eyes with one arm. However, this still opened up an opportunity for Chiaki and Sera, who attacked the Abomasnow while it was distracted. With their combined power, they were able to defeat the Abomasnow.

Of course, there was little time to relax, as there were still more opponents to deal with.

Wynn had helped Frosty take down two more Glalie, and was looking over to see how many wild Pokémon were left. Even though he was feeling a bit worn out from the battle, at least it seemed they had managed to take out almost half of the wild Pokémon guarding the area.

"Sting… Melody… Just wait a little longer…" Frosty said, glancing over at his frozen teammates. "I'll definitely save you guys…!"

Wynn pulled out and consumed an Oran berry to regain some of his strength, before looking around to see if any of the other rescue team members needed his assistance.

Azure seemed to have decided to focus on taking down the Mamoswine, trying to keep it away from her teammates. Azure smirked as she jumped up and slammed her glowing, water-coated tail against the Mamoswine for a good amount of damage. She hadn't yet noticed one of the remaining Glalie floating towards her, trying to sneak up from behind. The Glalie was about to ram into her, when Wynn leapt forward and took the attack.

"Don't worry about me," Wynn said as Azure turned around to see what was going on behind her.

Wynn struck the Glalie with the side of his horn, pushing it back a bit away from Azure. With the situation under control for now, Azure turned back to continue fighting the Mamoswine.

Blitz, Sera and Chiaki were attempting to take down one of the other three remaining Glalie, which had created an energy shield around itself to block their attacks. While waiting for the barrier to go down, a strong, icy wind suddenly blew through the entire area, damaging everyone except the wild Pokémon. It was the remaining Abomasnow that had suddenly unleashed a powerful Blizzard attack.

It seemed the wild Pokémon had changed up their strategy and were now unleashing their strongest moves. The hail was making it especially hard to dodge the Blizzard attacks.

"Ugh! This is bad!" Blitz said, shielding his face with a paw.

"I guess they've been saving their best moves for a situation like this, huh?" Azure commented, shaking some snow off of her body.

"Better try to take out these remaining guys as fast as possible!" Frosty shouted before charging at one of the remaining Glalie.

The others agreed there was no time to waste, and that it'd be best to finish things as soon as they possibly could. Blitz looked over at the Abomasnow, who looked just about ready to unleash another Blizzard attack. Blitz took a few steps towards the Abomasnow, letting his fangs heat up as he got closer. Once the Abomasnow noticed Blitz heading towards it, Blitz quickened his pace. Suddenly, he leapt up and flicked a few flames from his fangs into the Abomasnow's face. Startled by the fire, the Abomasnow took a few steps back.

While the Abomasnow was still stunned, Chiaki came running and delivered a jump kick to the Abomasnow's chest.

"Nice timing," Blitz commented, smiling at Chiaki.

"Glad to help!" Chiaki responded, smiling back.

The Abomasnow roared and tried to slam its arm down on the two. Blitz simply moved out of the way, while Chiaki jumped onto the arm and slid down as the Abomasnow raised its arm once more in order to punch the Abomasnow in the face with a glowing fist. By draining some of the Abomasnow's energy, Chiaki was able to recover from some of the damage he had taken during the battle. As the Abomasnow stumbled from having its energy drained, Blitz helped Chiaki finish the job by tackling the Abomasnow one more time.

In the meantime, Azure had decided to try finishing off the Mamoswine, since she had already weakened it significantly with her water attacks. If only those Glalie would stop interrupting her with their attacks…

"You're in my way!" Azure shouted as she rolled out of the way of several ice shard attacks fired in her direction.

Frosty had managed to take down one of the four Glalie, and noticed that two of the remaining three seemed mostly focused on Azure at the moment. Wynn was fighting the third one, waiting for the barrier currently protecting it to disappear. The hail seemed like it was about to stop, so Frosty knew he had to act quickly while he could still make use of it. He lunged towards the two Glalie that were attacking Azure, catching them off-guard as he rammed into them at a high speed.

With the two Glalie out of the way, Azure could focus on taking out the Mamoswine. With the hail coming to a stop, it wouldn't be able to hide anymore. Hearing its footsteps, Azure hurried over to where the Mamoswine was. Too slow to escape her, Azure was able to slam her water-coated tail into the Mamoswine once more, finally knocking it out.

"All right, who's left…?" Azure said, looking around.

The others, having taken out the last three Glalie, looked around in surprise.

"Is that… all of them…?" Blitz said, panting.

"Huh… I think so…" Sera responded, glancing around.

"… I don't sense any other enemies," Wynn said, closing his eyes for a moment. "It seems we've managed to take them all down."

Frosty walked over to the block of ice containing the still-frozen Sting, examining the ice with his paws.

"Hmm… So, we defeated all the enemies, but now what?" Frosty asked, looking over at the others with a concerned expression. "This ice is really thick… How are we going to get Sting and Melody out of here?"

"Good question…" Blitz replied as he looked over at the ice Melody was trapped in.

"Well, Blitz has his Fire Fang attack…" Sera said, her ears drooping down a little. "But… that might take a while…"

"Do we have any items we can use?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Or maybe we can help!" a familiar voice called out.

The others turned around in surprise to see that Mirage and her teammates had just arrived on the floor.

"Sorry we're late," Mirage said, smiling sheepishly. "Looks like we just missed the big battle, huh?"

"Mirage…! You… you guys are still here?" Chiaki exclaimed.

"What kind of silly question is that?" Megara responded, putting her hands to her hips. "I mean, we're right in front of you guys, aren't we?"

"We wanted to make sure you guys were okay," Mirage explained, grinning. "So, we decided to stay a bit longer and try to catch up to you guys!"

"T-The mushroom isn't s-sure how you convinced it to stay…" Cordyceps commented, shivering a bit. "T-The mushroom would rather be s-somewhere warm, but not  _too_  warm…"

"It's good to see you guys again!" Chiaki said, smiling at the other rescue team.

Frosty suddenly grabbed Megara's arm and pulled her towards the block of ice containing Sting, pointing to it anxiously.

"Um, can you hurry up and…?" Frosty said, still gesturing to his frozen leader.

"Okay, okay!" Megara responded, chuckling a little. "Just leave this to me!"

Frosty let out a sigh of relief as he stepped aside to let Megara begin the process of thawing out his frozen teammates. For now, the rest of them could relax for a bit. Chiaki noticed that Wynn seemed to be staring up at the block of ice containing the crystal they had all come to retrieve, and walked up next to him to get a better look at it.

"I feel a strange dark aura emanating from this large block of ice…" Wynn said, still staring at it thoughtfully. "Perhaps it's the magic Erebos used to affect the behavior of the wild Pokémon…"

"Does that mean things will go back to normal here once we've melted it?" Chiaki asked, looking up at Wynn.

"It might," Wynn responded, nodding his head slightly.

"Assuming Erebos didn't make it out of Never-Melt Ice," Azure commented, having overheard the conversation.

"… Chiaki, when you look at this crystal, do you… feel anything?" Wynn asked, looking down at the Mienfoo.

"Do I… feel anything?" Chiaki responded, staring at the crystal for a moment. "Hmm… No, not really…"

"… I see," Wynn replied, looking back up at the crystal.

Chiaki glanced up at Wynn for a moment, before staring up at the crystal again. It really was just like how he saw it in his dream. How strange…

* * *

After a while, Megara had successfully managed to thaw out both Sting and Melody, who were both still shivering as Megara began the process of thawing out the crystal. Blitz had assisted her by using his Fire Fang to clear out some of the ice spikes, making a clearer path to reach the large block of ice. The steam rising from the ice as Megara worked on melting it seemed to take on a strange purple tint, suggesting it really was affected by Erebos' magic. It also seemed harder to melt than the rest of the ice, but Megara was slowly but surely working her way to the crystal.

"Ugh… I can almost feel my wings again…" Sting buzzed, glancing at his back.

"M-Maybe it's about time I prioritized learning some new attacks…" Melody said, snuggling up to Mirage for warmth. "I-I think I'll start by learning some fire-type attacks…"

"Are they going to be okay?" Sera asked, looking a bit concerned.

"I think so…" Frosty responded, rubbing the back of his head. "But we'll have Giselle take a look at them when we get back, just in case."

Having made sure everyone was okay, Wynn kept watching as Megara worked on melting the large block of ice in order to retrieve the crystal. Megara kept alternating between breathing a stream of fire from her beak at the ice, and engulfing her fists in fire and using those to heat it up.

"Just a little more…" Megara muttered, stopping for a moment to dry her hands before continuing. "Come on…"

Megara was getting ready to grab the crystal once the ice around it had melted enough to free it. After a few more moments, the crystal finally fell into her hands. The others gathered around her as she held up the crystal.

"Well done, Meg!" Mirage said, grinning at her teammate.

"Great job," Cordyceps commented, shivering a bit. "Can we go home now?"

"I suppose it is about time to head back…" Frosty said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah… We should hurry home," Blitz added, nodding his head.

The rescue teams looked over at Wynn, who seemed to be examining what was left of the block of ice that had contained the crystal.

"Has that strange feeling gone away?" Chiaki asked, walking up to Wynn.

"I think so…" Wynn responded, nodding his head slightly. "Hopefully, it won't bother the wild Pokémon anymore."

"I hope so too!" Chiaki said, smiling at Wynn.

Blitz stepped forward, looking up at Wynn.

"Wynn, thank you for everything," Blitz said, bowing his head down. "We couldn't have done this without your help."

"Yeah, you were really amazing!" Mirage added, smiling at Wynn. "You're like, a one-Pokémon rescue team!"

"I'm just glad you're all okay," Wynn responded, looking at the three rescue teams with a small smile on his face. "And that you were able to complete your mission."

"Hey, there's no need to be modest!" Mirage said, pointing a claw at Wynn. "You  _are_  great, and you deserve to hear it!"

Wynn blinked a few times, seeming unsure about how to respond to that. He turned away for a moment, hoping nobody would notice the blush that had suddenly appeared on his face.

"Well, we're heading back!" Frosty announced, waving at the others. "Take care, Wynn! Everyone else, we'll see you back home!"

Sting, Melody and Frosty disappeared in a flash of golden light from their rescue team badge, returning home to Fenix Town. Mirage and her teammates briefly exchanged glances, before nodding and turning to the others. Megara held out the crystal she had been holding, offering it to Blitz.

"Here, I think you guys should be the ones to bring this to Stella," Megara said.

"Huh? Why?" Blitz asked, blinking a few times.

"Well, you guys did most of the work, didn't you?" Mirage responded, chuckling. "All we did was come in at the end to help melt some ice."

Blitz stared at the crystal for a few moments, before nodding his head.

"If you insist," Blitz said, placing the crystal inside the treasure bag.

"All right, then!" Mirage responded, grinning. "Well, time to go home!"

"Finally…" Cordyceps said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Will be nice to get some rest…" Megara commented, seeming a bit tired.

"Bye, Wynn! Thanks again for all the help!" Mirage said, waving good-bye to Wynn.

After Mirage and her teammates had teleported away, only Blitz and his teammates remained there with Wynn. Blitz waited for his teammates to gather around him so they could teleport home as well. As he was walking over to the others, Chiaki briefly glanced over his shoulder and thought he saw Wynn giving him a strange look. He turned around, but all he could see was Wynn's usual stoic expression.

Chiaki wondered if he'd just imagined it. He considered asking Wynn if something was wrong, but decided against it.

"I guess it's time we head home as well," Blitz said, looking at his teammates. "It's been a long day…"

"Yeah… I'm really looking forward to telling Frederick about today's adventure!" Azure responded, grinning.

"Ah… My legs are tired…" Sera said, her ears drooping down a little.

"You should all get some rest when you get home," Wynn commented, looking at the four of them.

"We will!" Chiaki responded, smiling at Wynn. "Make sure you get some rest too, okay?"

"… I will, don't worry," Wynn replied, nodding his head and smiling back at Chiaki.

"Okay, let's go home," Blitz said, looking over at each of his teammates before looking over at Wynn. "Good bye, Wynn."

"Farewell," Wynn responded, watching as the golden light emanating from the rescue team badge enveloped the rescue team and they disappeared from sight.

* * *

After everyone had left, Wynn went back into the mystery dungeon to check on the conditions of the wild Pokémon. From what he could tell, they weren't quite as insistent on pursuing him as before, which presumably meant Erebos' spell was indeed wearing off. The weather on certain floors in the areas outside also seemed less intense than before. Eventually, Wynn returned to his cave to rest for the night. Wynn lay down in his bed, and just stared into space for several moments.

Even if Erebos' spell was wearing off and things were starting to go back to normal, there was still a lot on Wynn's mind.

"That Mienfoo…" Wynn muttered, still staring at nothing in particular. "His future seems quite uncertain… Perhaps I should've said something…"

Wynn sighed and closed his eyes. There wasn't anything he could do, so there was no point in dwelling on it. All he could do was believe in Chiaki, and hope for the best.

"Chiaki… Just keep getting stronger…" Wynn mumbled, beginning to drift off to sleep. "If you're strong enough, then… even you might be…"

Wynn soon fell asleep. He hadn't even really realized how tired he was. It had been a long day; assisting the rescue teams and helping them retrieve that crystal. Wynn felt grateful to the rescue teams, since it was with their help that he had been able to avert a potential threat to the village.

However, while the village was safe for now, a new potential threat began to materialize during the night, as small distortions began to appear throughout the Snow-Laden Path…

* * *

**End of Chapter 53**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this, we're caught up to the latest chapter of the story as of this point!
> 
> It's impossible to tell at this point when Chapter 54 will be ready, but I'll keep working on it and we'll see how it goes. Hope you've all been enjoying the story so far!


	54. I'd say we make a fine family, don't you guys agree?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I finally finished Chapter 54! Took longer than expected, as things tend to do. Doesn't help that I've been having some problems with my laptop lately. Hoping to get a new laptop soon.
> 
> Anyways, here's the new chapter! Hope you guys enjoy it! Feel free to leave a comment!

 

* * *

Chiaki was sleeping comfortably in his bed. After yesterday's mission at Mt. Frostbite, it was nice to come home and get some rest. As the light of the sun shining through the windows slowly began to wake him up, Chiaki soon realized that Blitz's bed was empty. Chiaki sat up and rubbed his eyes, wondering where Blitz had gone off to. As he looked around the room, he suddenly noticed an opened envelope lying on the floor. Chiaki stepped out of bed, and walked over to the envelope. He picked it up to examine it, noticing a pattern of paw prints on it.

"Oh, I guess it's from Lita!" Chiaki said, examining the envelope a bit more. "It's empty, though… I guess Blitz must've taken the letter itself with him…"

Chiaki put the empty envelope back on the floor, and decided to head outside to look for Blitz. Knowing his roommate, he was probably at the dojo. Depending on what was written in Lita's letter, Blitz might've felt the need to talk to Hercules about it.

"I hope nothing bad has happened…" Chiaki muttered to himself, as he headed towards the town plaza.

In the town plaza, there were several other rescue teams going about their usual business, preparing for today's missions. Chiaki noticed that Sting and his teammates were over by the item shop, and it looked like Melody was checking out which TMs were for sale today. If he wasn't currently looking for Blitz, Chiaki might've stopped to say hi to some of the other rescue teams.

"Oh, Chiaki!" a familiar voice called out.

Chiaki looked over to see Sera approaching him.

"Oh, hey there, Sera!" Chiaki responded, waving to his teammate.

"Hmm? Blitz isn't with you?" Sera asked, looking around.

"Ah, yeah… he'd already left by the time I woke up," Chiaki responded, nodding his head slightly. "I think he might've gone to the dojo, so I'm heading there now."

"Oh, I see!" Sera replied. "I'll come with you, then!"

"Okay, let's go!" Chiaki responded.

The two of them headed towards the dojo together, hoping to meet up with Blitz there.

* * *

At the dojo, various Pokémon were busy training. However, in one corner of the dojo, a certain Shinx seemed to be deep in thought. Hercules was reading through the letter that Blitz had brought with him. Hercules looked down at Blitz with a concerned expression as he finished reading what was written in the letter.

"So… Your father came back…" Hercules said, handing the letter back to Blitz.

"Yeah…" Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

"… How do you feel?" Hercules asked.

"… I'm… not sure…" Blitz responded, staring off into space.

"I see…" Hercules replied, nodding his head. "I guess it's understandable that you wouldn't know how to feel about this…"

Blitz just nodded his head in response. Hercules wasn't entirely sure how to feel about this either. As he tried to collect his thoughts and think of something to say to Blitz, he noticed a certain Eevee and Mienfoo approaching them.

"Oh, it's you two," Hercules said, looking over at Sera and Chiaki.

"Uh, hi," Sera said, noticing the state Blitz was in. "Did something happen?"

"Ah, well…" Hercules responded, glancing over at Blitz for a sign that it was okay to inform his teammates of what was going on. "Blitz, you okay with…?"

"Uh-huh…" Blitz replied, nodding his head.

Blitz pushed the letter towards his teammates, and Hercules motioned for them to read it.

"O-Oh… oh my…" Sera said, blinking a few times as she finished reading through the letter.

"So, that's…" Chiaki said, looking over at Blitz.

"You guys don't have to say anything…" Blitz responded, shaking his head slightly. "I… I need some time to really think about this…"

"… I see," Sera replied, nodding her head. "We're… here for you."

"… Thanks," Blitz responded.

Sera and Chiaki exchanged uncertain looks, before moving a little closer to Blitz.

"… I wonder how Lita feels about all this…" Blitz said, sighing. "She didn't really say anything about it in her letter, but… it must be difficult for her…"

"Yeah, you're probably right…" Sera responded, her ears drooping down slightly. "After all, a lot is probably going on because of your father's return…"

"Lita… I'm sorry…" Blitz said, staring down at the floor. "You shouldn't have to deal with this all on your own…"

"… Huh? Blitz, are you… thinking of going home?" Sera asked, her body tensing up a bit.

"N-No, I… I can't… no…" Blitz responded, shaking his head. "I'm not ready for that… yet…"

"Oh, I see," Sera replied, letting out a sigh.

"… Hey, don't worry," Chiaki said, trying to give an encouraging smile. "I'm sure Lita will be fine. I mean… she's pretty tough, isn't she?"

"Even so, she's still just a kid," Blitz responded, looking over at his teammates. "As her older brother, I… I should be there for her at a time like this, but… instead, I… I'm…!"

"Blitz, calm down," Hercules said, gently placing a hand on Blitz's back.

"Ah…" Blitz looked up at Hercules expectantly.

"I… can't really tell you what you should do, but…" Hercules said, thinking for a moment about what to say. "Just take all the time you need to think about all of this."

"Y-Yeah, you're right…" Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "I… I should write back to her later, once I… once I've sorted out my thoughts…"

"That sounds like a good idea," Hercules replied, smiling at Blitz.

"So… What should we do now…?" Sera asked, her tail twitching slightly. "Do you… need some time to yourself, or… do you want us to stay…?"

"Um… It's fine, you guys can stay…" Blitz responded, rubbing the yellow rings on his forelegs together. "I don't mind…"

"If you say so…" Sera replied, leaning against Blitz.

Chiaki stared at his teammates for a moment, before walking up and patting Blitz on the back.

"Let us know if you need anything," Chiaki said, trying to put on an encouraging smile.

"Mm-hm…" Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

The three of them sat there quietly for a while. Once again, Chiaki thought about how he didn't really understand some of the things Sera and Blitz had to deal with that well. He didn't know how his relationship with his own family was before he lost his memories, assuming he even had a family.

Hercules watched over the three of them, happy that Blitz had gotten closer to his friends and proud of how much he had grown. Blitz had certainly gotten stronger, in more ways than one.

After a while, Blitz and his teammates decided to go somewhere else.

"Thanks, Hercules," Blitz said with a weary smile. "I hope it wasn't inconvenient for you, since it's still your work hours and I didn't actually do any training this time…"

"Hey, don't worry about it," Hercules responded, patting Blitz on the head. "For as long as you are here, for as long as you need it, I'll look after you."

"Yeah… I'll come back once I've sorted out my feelings," Blitz replied, nodding slightly.

Blitz and his teammates headed off towards the café, while Hercules returned to his work. He was still a bit concerned for Blitz, but he knew it was fine to leave him to his friends for now.

* * *

In the town plaza, Bijou the Sableye was casually snacking on some small gems while waiting to see if any more rescue teams would come to ask her to open any treasure boxes. She could hear muttering among some Pokémon discussing the latest news. Some of them seemed quite concerned about the state of certain areas, which were getting more and more distorted by the day. Bijou wondered if it was because of the six Axis Tower crystals that were being kept here in Fenix Town for safe-keeping that the town so far seemed to be free of any such distortions.

"Those crystals sure are amazing…" Bijou muttered to herself, reaching into her bag, grabbing and shoving another handful of tiny gems into her mouth. "Such incredible power…"

Bijou briefly wondered how one of the Axis Tower crystals would taste… not that she'd actually try it, of course.

"I'll just stick with these…" Bijou said, reaching into the bag to pull out another handful of gems. "Hmm…? I already emptied this thing?"

Bijou sighed and put the bag away, only for another grin to form on her face as she pulled out another bag of gems.

"All right, time to open another one!" Bijou said, chuckling to herself.

As Bijou began eating more gems, Marietta suddenly fluttered over to her stand.

"… Do you want something from me?" Bijou asked, looking over at the Ledian.

"Ah, no," Marietta responded, shaking her head. "I was just wondering if you were all right…"

"Oh? What's this about?" Bijou asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Well, maybe I'm just imagining things, but… you seem to be eating a bit more than normal these days…" Marietta said, glancing down at the bag of gems in Bijou's hands.

"Ah, so that's what's got you so concerned?" Bijou responded, snickering. "Well, I'm sure you've heard that those distortions are starting to become a real big problem in some places…"

"Um, yeah," Marietta replied, nodding her head. "I think I read that the service that flies rescue teams to Wyvern Island had to shut down until further notice because of a large number of distortions in the area around their station…"

"Yes, and that is only one example of the trouble others are facing out there right now," Bijou responded, reaching into the bag and pulling out a small red gem. "It's at times like these that you sort of begin to feel like… is the world going to end soon? Will I have time to accomplish my goals within that time?"

"Uh… I don't think it's quite  _that_  bad," Marietta replied. "I mean… Six of the Axis Crystals have been found, so hopefully once they're returned, they'll stop things from getting worse and fix the damage to those areas…"

"I guess you feel relaxed because these events aren't affecting you at this point," Bijou commented, tossing the red gem into her mouth.

"You make it sound like I'm not doing anything," Marietta responded, crossing both sets of arms with a pout. "I'm doing what I can, and that is doing my job to support the rescue teams that are out there looking for the last of the crystals!"

"Hehehe… You sure are fired up," Bijou commented, snickering a little. "Anyways, I'm doing my best too, of course… even if I haven't had a lot of customers today."

"We all have those days," Marietta responded.

"Yes, yes…" Bijou replied, nodding her head. "On days like that, I can afford to take it a little easy, can't I? Plus, when you've got this "not knowing when the world might end" feeling, you might as well enjoy yourself as much you can before anything serious happens, right?"

"Um, again, the world isn't ending," Marietta responded, tilting her head slightly. "I… don't even know if the whole business with Axis Tower and the distortions affect anything outside of the region we all live in…"

"I guess you're right…" Bijou replied, putting away the bag of gems. "… Hey, if the world  _was_  ending, is there anything you would want to accomplish before then?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that?" Marietta responded.

"Come on, surely there's  _something_  you'd want to do…" Bijou said, smirking.

"Um… Well…" Marietta replied, seeming unsure what to say.

"Oh? Is it a secret?" Bijou inquired, her smile growing bigger. "Ah, it's okay! I won't tell anyone… probably!"

"Ugh… You're being really weird right now, you know?" Marietta responded, looking somewhat concerned. "And not your usual kind of weird… Is it because there hasn't been much work for you to do today? Is this what boredom does to you?"

"Well, I  _am_  bored," Bijou replied, fiddling with her lock-picking tool. "You've certainly got that right…"

"Hmm… Well, just hang in there, okay?" Marietta responded. "I've got to get back to work now, but once we're done for the day, we could go hang out at the café, maybe?"

"Oh?" Bijou replied, tilting her head slightly.

"I mean, it seems you have a lot on your mind, so I thought maybe it'd help to go out and just relax properly a bit?" Marietta explained, before looking away. "Ah, unless you don't want to, or you have other plans…"

"Ah, I see…" Bijou responded, still fiddling with the lock-pick. "Very well, I'll accept your invitation."

"Oh, okay!" Marietta replied, smiling at Bijou. "I'll see you then!"

"Yes, it'd be a good opportunity for us to get to know each other better..." Bijou responded, tilting her head slightly. "Hmm… You never actually answered my question earlier… Perhaps I should make a guess?"

"Um, I'm going back to work now…" Marietta said, as she began flying away.

"Ooh, perhaps there's a certain someone you'd like to spend some more time with?" Bijou asked, grinning. "I'm guessing a certain Heracross…?"

"Eh!? You know about- I mean…" Marietta responded, a barely visible blush on her face. "Ah, um… See you later!"

"Hehehe… Did I guess right?" Bijou said, snickering. "My gemstone eyes see it all… hehehe!"

Bijou kept idly playing with her lock-picking device while waiting for any rescue teams in need of having treasure boxes to come by, looking forward to her appointment with Marietta later. Bijou had always had a curious heart, which was one of the reasons she enjoyed her job so much. It always felt so satisfying to open up one of those mysterious treasure boxes, and getting to see exactly what was hidden inside. And right now, she was mostly curious about the current state of the relationship between Marietta and Hercules.

She would certainly try to get some details out of Marietta when they met up again this evening!

* * *

Marietta and Bijou weren't the only ones with plans to visit the café to get their minds off of things, as Blitz and his teammates had ended up heading there some time after leaving the dojo. Meeting up with Azure and Frederick, they explained the situation to them as well. The two of them listened quietly, until Blitz had finished explaining everything. The group was quiet for a while, until Azure broke the silence between them.

"You sure have it rough, huh?" Azure said, taking a sip from her berry juice.

"Well, at least it sounds like his father is trying to make up for his past mistakes," Frederick commented. "That's good, right?"

"Uh, I guess…" Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly.

"It certainly is better than nothing," Azure said, her ears twitching slightly. "However, that doesn't mean you should just automatically forgive him."

"I know…" Blitz responded, nodding his head again.

"And if you need to take some time off, that's totally fine," Azure said, grinning. "I mean, I do love a good adventure, but if you're not up for it, I'll simply have to find other ways to pass the time while you get things sorted out!"

"Yeah, I don't mind either," Frederick said, rapidly nodding his head. "Your well-being is important, after all."

"… Thanks, guys," Blitz responded, smiling at his friends. "I'll try to get my feelings sorted out as soon as possible."

"Hey, don't push yourself," Sera said, looking a bit concerned. "I mean, family stuff can be complicated matters… I should know! I have  _five_  older siblings!"

"Ah, right," Azure replied, looking over at Sera. "I haven't really heard you talk about any family drama on your end lately… Does that mean things are going better with them?"

"Yeah, I think so," Sera responded, nodding her head. "It seems like we're all doing our best to improve things little by little."

"Good for you!" Azure replied, grinning at Sera.

"I kind of wish I had brothers or sisters sometimes," Frederick commented. "Maybe I should ask my parents if they can make some whenever they have time…"

"Ooh, I bet you'd make an awesome big brother!" Azure said, still grinning.

"R-Really...?" Frederick responded, turning his head in the direction of Azure's voice.

"Well, of course," Azure replied, shrugging slightly. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't really believe it, you know?"

"Ah, that's true," Frederick responded, nodding his head. "Thanks, Azure."

"What about you, Azure?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly. "Have you ever wanted siblings?"

"Hmm, I don't know," Azure responded, taking another sip of her berry juice. "My dad is often out of town on business, so that might be difficult…"

"Oh, right," Sera replied.

"But hey, things are fine just the way they are," Azure said, grinning. "Sure, it'd be nice if dad came home to visit more often, but other than that, I think we're doing pretty well!"

Blitz looked at Chiaki, realizing that the young Mienfoo hadn't said much during this conversation. Chiaki was just sitting there, observing his friends with a wistful expression.

"Um… Something wrong, Chiaki?" Blitz asked, trying to get the Mienfoo's attention.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing…" Chiaki responded, shaking his head.

"Hey, don't be like that," Azure said, looking over at Chiaki. "If anything's bothering you, let us know!"

"Ah, well… I was just… trying to imagine what it is like," Chiaki responded.

"Imagine…?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.

"I haven't really been able to be of much help when it comes to these things, since… I don't have any memories," Chiaki explained, staring down at his drink. "I… I don't know anything about my family, assuming I have one, so…"

"Oh, I see," Sera responded, her ears drooping down slightly.

"I'm not lonely, or anything," Chiaki said, looking at his friends. "But sometimes… I wish I knew what it's like to be part of a family…"

The group was quiet for a few moments, before Azure smiled and looked over at Chiaki.

"Well, you've got us, don't you?" Azure said, grinning. "I'd say we make a fine family, don't you guys agree?"

Chiaki looked surprised for a moment. Looking around, he realized the others were surprised too. Azure looked around at her friends, before speaking up again.

"What? Don't tell me I'm the only one who thinks so!" Azure said, pouting.

"Ah, of course not!" Sera responded, her ears perking up in alarm. "I… also do think of our team as something like a family."

"Yeah, me too," Frederick said, nodding his head. "Azure's kind of like a supportive big sister to me."

"Huh? But you're bigger than me," Azure responded. "And, aren't you the oldest one out of us?"

"Oh, right," Frederick replied, tilting his head slightly. "Hmm… I still think it works, though."

"Heh, that's fine with me!" Azure responded, grinning.

"… I'll admit, I've grown to see Sera as another sister of mine," Blitz said, before looking over at Chiaki. "And you are kind of like a little brother."

"R-Really?" Chiaki responded, staring wide-eyed at Blitz.

"Yeah," Blitz replied, smiling at Chiaki. "After all, we've been living together for some time now, and I've basically been helping look after you since then… I guess it brought out my instincts as an older brother, you know?"

"I see…" Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

"Hmm, you really see me as a sister?" Sera replied, one of her ears drooping down a little. "I… don't really see you the same way I see any of my older brothers..."

"Oh, you don't see me like that?" Blitz asked, looking away for a moment. "Um… How  _do_  you see me, then?"

"H-Huh?" Sera responded, blushing slightly. "W-Well... You're my best friend! You know that!"

"Uh, yes," Blitz replied with a slightly confused look on his face. "Of course I know that."

"Good," Sera responded, looking away. "Glad we're on the same page."

"R-Right," Blitz replied, tilting his head slightly.

"… So, we're like… a family," Chiaki said, looking at his teammates.

"Yeah, that's right!" Azure exclaimed with a grin. "A family can come in many forms, so surely it can also come in the form of a group of different Pokémon who go on adventures together and fight stuff!"

"… I see," Chiaki responded, smiling at his teammates. "So, this is what it's like…"

Somehow, all five of them seemed to feel more at ease now. It was almost as if the events earlier that day hadn't happened. Of course, even though he seemed relaxed now, Blitz probably still had that letter from Lita on his mind. But since he seemed to be in a better mood now, maybe it'd help him properly collect his thoughts and write a reply to Lita. At least that's what Chiaki hoped.

_"Even after I get my memories back, I hope I can continue to go on adventures with everyone!"_ Chiaki thought to himself with a smile.  _"I want to make even more friends, so I can grow even stronger!"_

The group stayed at the café for a while, until it was time for each of them to head home for the evening. After saying good-bye to the others, Blitz and Chiaki returned to their house. The two of them stayed awake for a while, thinking about the various things that had been on their minds.

"… I guess I'll try to write that letter to Lita tomorrow," Blitz said, yawning.

"You've figured out what to write to her?" Chiaki asked, glancing over at Blitz.

"… Some of it, I think…" Blitz responded, looking over at Chiaki. "I'll have to think about it some more tomorrow."

"All right…" Chiaki replied, nodding slightly. "Then, let's get some sleep now."

"Yeah… Good night, Chiaki," Blitz said, smiling at the Mienfoo.

"Good night," Chiaki responded, smiling back.

It felt like it had been a long day, even though nothing much had really happened. Chiaki wasn't sure how things would turn out for Blitz and Lita, but he hoped that both of them would be okay. The bonds between Pokémon were truly fascinating, especially with how they seemed to have the power to bring out everyone's full strength. Family… Friends… Rescue teams… and if he thought about it a bit more, he could probably think of even more such connections that had the potential to create such power.

At first, Chiaki felt excited thinking about it all, but after a while, he began to feel as if… something was missing within him. Was it just his missing memory, or was there something more? Had he… lost something else besides his memories?

As this line of thought began to make him uneasy, Chiaki glanced over at Blitz, who already seemed to be asleep. Chiaki calmed down a bit as he remembered the conversation between him and the others earlier that evening.

_"Like a brother…"_  Chiaki thought, smiling to himself.  _"That's right… I'll be fine. I have Blitz and everyone else by my side… I'm not alone."_

Chiaki closed his eyes, and eventually fell asleep. No matter what happened from now on, Chiaki believed he could handle it as long as he had everyone else there to lend him their power. In return, he would do whatever he could to protect them all.

* * *

**End of Chapter 54**


	55. We're stuck here forever, aren't we?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! It's been a while, but I finally finished chapter 55!
> 
> Yeah, I kind of got stuck for a bit, so I decided to take the same approach I did with the last chapter I got stuck on, namely going back to one of the earlier scenes and changing it up, and seeing where it'd go from there. It also helps that I had a sudden flash of inspiration as I was trying to sleep one night, which gave me the general idea for this chapter.
> 
> Also, I intended to include a female Sneasel as a supporting character during the Mt. Frostbite chapters, but the character ended up being cut, so I decided to include a Sneasel in this chapter to make up for that, even if it's a different one.
> 
> Anyways, feel free to let me know your thoughts on the story. If you guys have any advice, I'll try to keep it in mind for future chapters.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Elina looked up at the home of the town oracle, where six of the Axis Tower crystals were currently being kept for safe-keeping until they could all be brought back to Axis Tower. It was getting pretty late, but both Stella and Bow seemed to still be awake. Were they perhaps looking to the stars for guidance? Elina glanced up at the night sky. Supposedly, her species came to this planet a long time ago from somewhere beyond that sky. It was kind of hard for Elina to imagine that, though, since she had been born in this world. Although now that she thought about it, she was a bit curious about what exactly lied beyond the sky.

Thinking about it, there were a few other species of Pokémon who were also said to come from space. Lunatone and Solrock, for example, apparently came to live on this planet after falling from the sky. And didn't Cosmo once say that her species came from the moon? Elina wasn't entirely sure if that was true, but she couldn't think of a reason why Cosmo would lie to her either. After all, Cosmo was sort of like an aunt to her.

_"… I wonder how they're all doing back home,"_ Elina thought to herself, letting out a small sigh.  _"Do they miss me? I hope father isn't too lonely…"_

Elina glanced over at Stella's house once more.

_"… It won't be much longer until they've all been gathered now,"_ Elina thought.  _"Then, they'll be returned to Axis Tower…"_

Elina shuddered a bit.

_"But… Erebos… he'll surely try to stop us…"_ Elina thought, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to stop her trembling.  _"Back then… I just barely managed to escape from him…"_

"Is someone out there?" Bow's voice called out, and Elina realized that the other psychic types must've sensed her distress.

Bow stepped outside to see if anyone was nearby, her mother staying in the doorway and looking around as well. However, the presence they had felt seemed to be gone.

"Huh… That's strange…" Bow commented, looking around. "I could've sworn I sensed someone…"

"Yes, someone was definitely here, until just a moment ago…" Stella responded, nodding her head. "Who would stop by at this hour, though…?"

"Did somebody nocturnal want some advice?" Bow mused, tilting her head.

"… Well, if it's advice they wanted, they'll probably return," Stella responded, looking around once more before motioning for Bow to come back inside. "Anyways, I think that's enough for tonight. Let's get some sleep."

"Okay," Bow replied, letting out a small yawn as she stepped back inside. "Good night."

"Good night, sweetie," Stella responded, smiling at Bow. "Love you."

"Love you too," Bow replied as she got into bed.

* * *

Elina peeked out from some bushes in the town plaza, not sure why she still felt so cautious even though no one was around at the moment. Was it just that she had been startled by Bow suddenly calling out to her earlier, or was it because she had reminded herself of what happened the night the crystals were taken from Axis Tower? That night…

She remembered hearing the sound of rain pouring down outside. The wind blowing, lightning flashing…

Then, an intruder suddenly appeared inside the tower.

Before she even realized what was going on, various guards were trying their best to stop the intruder from taking the crystals. However, the intruder possessed powers none of them had ever seen before.

Somehow, Elina managed to stay out of the intruder's sight. Whether it was pure luck, or because she was too small and weak for the intruder to consider her a threat, she wasn't sure…

She couldn't stop shaking, but even so, she didn't take her eyes off of the intruder, as he flew up to where the crystals were. She saw the streams of light shining into the crystal in the center from the other seven crystals positioned around it being disrupted as Erebos removed them from their pedestals one by one.

Elina could've sworn that Erebos' maniacal laughter only got more and more intense with each crystal he took, until only the clear one in the center was left.

Then, just before he could take the last one…

_"It's still kind of hard to believe… that I managed to do that…"_ Elina thought to herself, hugging herself tightly in an attempt to stop her trembling.  _"I know I was just lucky, though…"_

Elina noticed that her fingers had started flashing erratically as she thought about what happened that night. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.

_"C-Calm down… After all, he's… he's not even looking for me! If he wanted to find me, he could've easily done so at any time!"_ Elina thought to herself.  _"Besides, even with my interference, he still technically succeeded in his goal that night…"_

Elina looked down at her hands, her glowing fingers having stopped flashing gibberish. She then looked around the town plaza. The crystals in the wooden posts around the town plaza looked pretty when they were glowing like this at night. Even when no one was around late at night, their light somehow made it feel less lonely.

_"Fenix Town is quite nice…"_ Elina thought to herself.  _"To think, that if none of this had happened, I probably would've never come here…"_

As far as Elina could remember, she hadn't really been outside of the tower that many times before all this. She'd never really considered exploring what was out there, and yet she had managed to make it all the way out here. Perhaps she had been stronger than she had believed herself to be all along. At the very least, her psychic powers had certainly gotten stronger since then.

_"I've gotten much better at teleportation, and Kala has been helping me work on my telepathy…"_ Elina thought to herself, glancing over in the direction of the dojo.  _"Maybe I should work on my battle skills next?"_

Elina wasn't sure what the future would bring, but she had always expected that she'd eventually end up becoming another one of the guards protecting the Axis Tower crystals alongside her father and the others. She would certainly need to get stronger in battle if she planned to become a guard…

… Did she  _want_  to become a guard, though? It suddenly occurred to her that she had never really given that much thought. Maybe it was too soon to be thinking about it, though, with everything else that was still going on.

_"Ah, my thoughts are all over the place…"_  Elina thought, rubbing her head.  _"Maybe it's about time to call it a night and get some sleep…"_

Elina quietly made her way over to one of the spots where she usually slept. She tried to clear her mind so her thoughts wouldn't keep her awake for too long, but doing so tended to be easier said than done. At times like this, she almost felt a bit envious of Kala, who seemed to have no difficulty whatsoever falling asleep. But if she just kept her eyes closed and made sure there weren't any disturbances, she would surely fall asleep eventually.

* * *

As Chiaki woke up, he noticed that Blitz was already awake and staring down at a piece of paper laying on the floor in front of him. Judging from the ink on one of Blitz's front paws, it seemed he had already made some progress on that letter for Lita. At the moment, though, he was just staring down at the paper in deep thought, trying to figure out what to write down next. Chiaki was curious about what Blitz had written so far, but figured it was best not to look. Whatever was written in that letter was between Blitz and his little sister, after all.

"… Hm?" Blitz said, one of his ears twitching slightly before he glanced over at Chiaki who had just gotten out of bed. "Oh, you're awake."

"Good morning!" Chiaki replied, smiling at Blitz.

"Good morning to you too," Blitz responded, smiling back.

"… You look kind of tired," Chiaki commented, noticing Blitz's weary expression.

"Ah, well… I woke up early, and… I couldn't stop thinking about it…" Blitz responded, letting out a small yawn. "So, after a while, I decided I might as well get up and try to write it…"

"Oh, I see," Chiaki replied, nodding his head slightly.

"I even managed to think of some things to write, but… now that I've gotten this far, I'm not sure where to go from here…" Blitz said, looking over what he had written down so far. "I… don't know if I should keep trying, or if… I should just do something else for a bit, and maybe if I'm lucky, it'll just come to me then…"

"Maybe you should go back to sleep for a bit?" Chiaki suggested.

"Nah… Even if I'm still a bit tired, I already know I won't be able to return to sleep," Blitz responded, shaking his head. "So, I'll just stay up."

"Okay, then…" Chiaki replied, nodding his head. "Well, in that case… Why don't we head out for a bit?"

"Yeah, sure," Blitz responded, putting the paper away. "Let's me just wash this ink off my paws first."

* * *

Things were the same as usual in the town plaza, various rescue teams getting ready for their next missions while other Pokémon stood around gossiping and discussing recent events in the region. Among the various conversations they could hear snippets of as they walked past, one thing they overheard that Blitz made a note of was one rescue team telling another about a notice that had been put up at the rescue team HQ. Before he could hear any more details, however, a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Blitz! Chiaki! Good morning!" Sera called out as she ran over to them.

"Oh, there you are, Sera!" Chiaki responded, smiling at her.

"Hi, Sera," Blitz said, also smiling.

"Huh? Blitz, you don't look so good," Sera commented, squinting her eyes a bit as she looked at Blitz's face. "Did you not get enough sleep last night?"

"Ah, is it  _that_  obvious…?" Blitz responded, sheepishly rubbing the rings on his forelegs together.

"Well, I don't blame you, considering what happened yesterday…" Sera replied, her ears drooping down slightly.

"Don't worry about it," Blitz responded, shaking his head. "I need some time to think things through, but… I don't think just keeping to myself while I try to get that sorted out will help."

"Blitz…!" Sera replied, looking rather surprised at this.

"Heh, what's with that look?" Blitz asked, letting out a chuckle. "I mean, I know I don't have to keep everything to myself anymore."

"Ah… I see," Sera responded, smiling at Blitz.

The three of them then headed over to the café to pick up Azure and Frederick before deciding on what they would do today. As they arrived, Azure was in the middle of cleaning the tables.

"Oh, hey guys!" Azure said, waving at her friends.

"Hi, Azure!" Sera responded, looking around. "Frederick's not here?"

"Nope, not yet," Azure replied, shrugging slightly. "He didn't mention having any other plans, so I assume he'll be here soon. Feel free to wait here while I finish cleaning these tables."

Blitz and the others watched as Azure cleaned the tables one-by-one, spraying them with her bubble attack before swiftly drying them off with a washcloth. Judging from her movements, Blitz guessed that Azure must've practiced this technique for cleaning efficiently. As she was close to finishing off the last few tables, Frederick finally showed up.

"Hey guys," Frederick said, walking over to the rest of the group.

"Hi Frederick!" Chiaki responded, smiling at the Deino.

"Ooh, good timing!" Azure said, grinning. "I'm almost done, so just give me a moment!"

Once Azure had finished the last table, she ran up to the others.

"So, what are we doing today?" Azure asked, still smiling.

"We haven't decided yet," Sera responded, shaking her head.

"Hmm… Maybe we should head over to the HQ?" Blitz suggested. "I think there's something there we should check out."

"Ooh, you're really up for an adventure?" Azure asked, looking over at Blitz.

"Well… Maybe," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "At the very least, I want to know what is going on."

The group then made their way to the rescue team HQ. Reaching the main area, things seemed the same as usual, except for something that had been posted up next to the bulletin boards. They quickly went over to examine it.

"… Ah, I see," Blitz said, as he looked over the document. "I guess some mystery dungeons have been greatly affected by the distortions, to the point where they're practically inaccessible."

"Well, that kind of sucks," Azure commented.

"It's not that surprising, though," Sera said, her ears drooping down a little. "I mean, we've seen and heard of how distortions have been spreading and getting bigger all this time…"

"Yeah…" Blitz responded, nodding his head. "For now, there aren't that many mystery dungeons that have been blocked off, but I can only imagine the list will get longer… The list also mentions some other mystery dungeons that are currently being monitored and that may soon be blocked off as well."

"I sure hope nobody got lost in those dungeons before the distortions closed them up…" Frederick commented, tilting his head slightly.

"… Well, I don't see any of the dungeons that are currently inaccessible mentioned as the location of any of the missions on the bulletin boards," Azure said, glancing at the various missions posted. "I assume that means we don't got to worry about that."

"Hope you're right about that," Frederick responded. "If not, then they might be in there for a while…"

"… You've got a wild imagination, buddy," Azure commented, blinking a few times.

"Ah! Look at that!" Sera said, pointing her paw at one particular mission on the bulletin board. "Isn't that one of the mystery dungeons that is currently under observation and that may soon be closed up?"

Blitz let out a gasp as he quickly looked over at the mission, then back at the list to confirm Sera's observation.

"You're right…" Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly. "According to the list, any mission in these possibly soon-to-be closed off dungeons should be prioritized…"

"So, is that what we're doing today, then?" Azure asked, looking over at her teammates.

"Well, none of the other teams have accepted this one yet," Blitz replied, taking another look at the mission. "And the difficulty range shouldn't be too difficult for our current rank… under normal circumstances, anyways."

"In other words, the distortions might make things a bit more difficult," Sera responded, letting out a sigh.

"I'm always up for a challenge," Azure said, smirking. "Guess we'd better get ready, huh?"

"… Yeah, we'd better go rescue this Pokémon," Blitz responded, nodding his head.

The team quickly made their way back to the town plaza to prepare for the mission. Once they had sorted out which items to bring, they made their way back to the HQ. As they prepared to set off, they first had to decide who would stay behind.

"Good luck, guys," Frederick said, smiling at his teammates.

"Sorry about having you be the one to stay behind two missions in a row, buddy," Azure said.

"No, it's fine," Frederick replied, shaking his head. "There'll be plenty of other chances to go on missions, so I don't mind waiting."

"Yeah, that's true!" Sera said, wagging her tail.

"All right, then!" Azure said, grinning. "We'll be sure to tell you all about the mission when we get back, so until then, just cheer us on from here, okay?"

"Of course!" Frederick responded, nodding his head.

With their preparations complete, Blitz, Sera, Chiaki and Azure headed into Kala's room.

"Kala, wake up," Chiaki said, lightly shaking the Abra's shoulder.

"Mm… Just put the spoon back where you found it…" Kala muttered in her sleep.

After a few moments, Kala finally woke up and listened to the rescue team's request.

"Hmm, I see…" Kala said, nodding her head slightly. "All right, I can send you there… You guys just be careful, okay?"

"We will, don't worry," Blitz responded, nodding his head in response.

And so, in a flash of green light, Blitz, Sera, Chiaki and Azure were teleported out of the room. With her job done for now, Kala laid back down on her pillow.

"A mystery dungeon heavily affected by distortion, huh…" Kala muttered to herself as she let out a yawn. "Wonder if it'd be as confusing as a dream…"

Kala didn't spend too much time thinking about it before falling back asleep, ready to return to her own strange dreams.

* * *

"… So, where's the entrance to the dungeon?" Azure asked as she and her teammates looked around.

"Um…" Blitz rolled out the treasure map and quickly glanced at it. "Well, this does look like it could be the right area, and if so…"

Blitz took a few steps away, examining his surroundings before finally spotting something in the distance.

"Oh, I think that might be it over there!" Blitz said, pointing a paw in the direction of what he'd seen.

After rolling the map back up, the group quickly followed Blitz over to the entrance of the mystery dungeon. As they approached it, they noticed that small distortions were scattered throughout the areas closer to the dungeon.

"All right, we're here," Azure said, looking at the entrance to the mystery dungeon. "I wonder why we landed that far from the entrance, though…"

"Good question," Blitz responded, touching a paw to his chin. "I'm not sure if Kala did that on purpose or not, but either way, it might have to do with the distortions…"

"Ah, so we ended up further away from the dungeon because there weren't as many distortions over there," Azure replied. "Got it."

"Well, it's my best guess, anyways," Blitz responded, looking up at the entrance. "Anyways, our client should be on the thirteenth floor…"

"I wonder what it'll be like in there…" Chiaki commented.

"Hopefully it doesn't get too difficult to navigate," Sera said, her ears twitching slightly.

"I'm ready to head in when you guys are!" Azure said, seemingly unperturbed.

Blitz exchanged glances with his teammates, before they all stepped inside the mystery dungeon. Upon entering, they quickly noticed that parts of the walls were warped and flickering.

"… Yeah, this is just about what I expected," Azure commented, looking around.

"Ugh, I feel I might get dizzy looking at this for too long…" Sera said, her ears drooping down.

"Let's not linger here too long," Blitz responded, looking over at his teammates. "Come on, we should get moving."

The team quickly began exploring the floor, trying to find the stairs as soon as possible. As they made their way throughout the first few floors, they noticed that the wild Pokémon in the dungeon seemed more aggressive than normal. Of course, this didn't come as a surprise, considering they had already seen how the distortions tended to agitate the wild Pokémon in the mystery dungeons.

"I feel kind of bad for the wild Pokémon here…" Sera said, trying to avert her eyes from some of the distorted walls.

"Me too…" Chiaki responded, nodding his head slightly. "I hope the remaining two Axis Tower crystals are found soon so things can go back to normal…"

"Yeah…" Sera replied, nodding her head in agreement.

As they made their way through the different floors, they noticed that the level of distortion seemed to wary from floor to floor. Once they had managed to get past the first five floors, the next few floors were a little less distorted. However, a few floors after that seemed even more distorted than the first few.

"Geez… Make up your mind," Azure said.

"Hmm?" Chiaki said, glancing at Azure following behind him.

"I was talking to the dungeon," Azure explained, sighing.

"Oh," Chiaki replied, turning back around.

"Ugh, is it just me, or is it kind of hard to breathe in here?" Sera asked, her ears twitching slightly.

"I guess this floor must be especially harshly affected by distortion," Blitz responded, looking around. "It's okay, let's just hurry up and find the stairs."

Blitz quickly led them down one of the paths, only to suddenly find himself in a different room before they had even walked through the entire tunnel.

"Um…" Blitz said, glancing at the path behind him. "That… can't be right."

"What just happened!?" Azure exclaimed, looking around.

"Did we just… teleport?" Sera asked, blinking a few times.

"I… I guess so," Blitz responded, looking around.

"Huh… How'd that happen?" Chiaki asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Hmm…" Blitz kept looking around for a moment, before his eyes settled on one of the other paths leading out of the room. "Let's try going that way next."

Following Blitz's lead, the team began heading towards a different path. However, once again, before they knew it, they ended up in a different place from before.

"Oh, hey! The stairs!" Azure exclaimed, pointing to said stairs. "But, wait… How'd we…"

"I see…" Blitz said, looking around.

"I guess we got teleported again," Sera said, looking over at Blitz. "Did you figure something out?"

"Hmm… On floors with particularly strong distortion, I guess the paths are connected in certain ways…" Blitz responded, looking back at the path they had just appeared from. "As in… Imagine that each path is a portal linked to a different path…"

"Ah, is that how it works?" Azure replied, blinking a few times. "Huh… In other words, navigating those floors might be a pain…"

"Yeah…" Blitz responded, nodding his head as he glanced over at the stairs again. "Finding the stairs to the next floor in a situation will require some luck on our part…"

"Well, we did get lucky this time," Chiaki said, smiling. "So, it'll probably be fine!"

"We should also try our best to remember which paths lead where," Blitz added.

After discussing the situation, the team moved on to the next floor. Thankfully, the next floor wasn't as distorted as the previous one, allowing them to get through the floor without too much difficulty. However, once they had made it through the next few floors, they finally reached the floor where their client was supposed to be, only to find it was another floor strongly affected by the distortion.

"This again…" Azure commented as they tried to walk down a path, only to be teleported to a different part of the dungeon.

"All right… Try to remember the layout of these rooms, and where the paths lead," Blitz said, looking around at his teammates.

"Hmm… Maybe it'll be easier to remember if we don't pick up the items?" Sera suggested as she glanced over at some Iron Thorns lying on the ground.

"Good thinking," Blitz responded, nodding approvingly at Sera.

"Agreed," Azure said, thinking for a moment. "Although, if we find an item that might be useful, we can just switch it out with something from the bag that we don't need, right?"

"Yes, of course," Blitz replied.

"Sounds like a plan!" Chiaki said, smiling. "All right, let's keep moving!"

The team quickly resumed their exploration of the floor, making good use of items to help memorize the layout of the floor. After being teleported around the dungeon for a bit, having to start over at least twice after being returned to the room they arrived in upon reaching the floor, they finally found their client. A rather frustrated looking dark-furred bipedal Pokémon was pacing back and forth inside a room, the pink feather on its left ear twitching.

"Hmm?" the Sneasel said, turning to look at Blitz and his teammates. "Ah… Did you come to rescue me?"

"Yes, we did!" Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

"… Well, give it a try," the Sneasel said.

"What do you mean?" Blitz inquired, tilting his head slightly.

"…" the Sneasel just looked away.

Blitz waited for a moment, before stepping forward and holding up the rescue team badge. However, nothing seemed to happen.

"… Even the badge?" the Sneasel said, letting out a sigh. "I was hoping it was just the escape orbs that didn't work…"

"Huh? We can't teleport out of here!?" Azure exclaimed.

"Seems that way…" the Sneasel responded, shrugging.

"… The strong distortions on this floor must be interfering with our ability to teleport," Blitz said, looking down at the badge.

"What do we do, then?" Sera asked, her ears drooping down.

"Don't panic," Blitz responded, putting the badge back on the bag. "Maybe it'll work if we move to a different floor…"

"Oh! Because the distortion might not be as strong there?" Chiaki chimed in.

"Exactly," Blitz replied, nodding his head.

"All right! Then let's find the stairs!" Chiaki responded, smiling.

"Uh… Good luck with that," the Sneasel said, crossing his arms. "I've been wandering around for a while now, and I just  _can't_  seem to find those  _(Frillish)_  stairs!"

"Whoa, calm down!" Azure exclaimed, before walking over and patting the Sneasel's shoulder. "I understand you're frustrated, but there's no need for such language."

"Yeah, it'll be okay!" Chiaki said, looking around. "We'll get you out of here!"

"Well… I feel like I've already tried every possible way I can go in here, but… maybe you guys can find another path," the Sneasel responded, shrugging slightly. "Ugh, my head hurts… I just want to get out of here…"

"Okay, let's look for the stairs!" Sera said, wagging her tail.

And so, the Sneasel joined the exploration as the group attempted to find the stairs leading to the next floor. However, it seemed that no matter which way they went, they just kept walking in circles, being sent back to the same rooms again, and again, and again, and again…

"… And there's the Iron Thorns again," Azure said, glancing over at the Iron Thorns laying on the ground. "How many times have we seen those now?"

"We're stuck here forever, aren't we?" the Sneasel muttered while rubbing his head.

"Hey, don't give up!" Chiaki said, looking around. "There's got to be something we haven't tried yet!"

Blitz glanced at the nearby paths a few times, seemingly at a loss for which one to pick.

"… Blitz?" Chiaki said, looking over at the team leader.

"Um…" Blitz replied, rubbing the rings on his forelegs together.

"B-Blitz?" Chiaki said again, realizing what was going on. "Hey, it's okay! We're all kind of confused right now, so don't worry about it! If we keep trying, I'm sure we'll find a way!"

"Chiaki's right!" Sera exclaimed, her ears perking up. "Just try to stay calm!"

"R-Right… Sorry," Blitz responded, taking a deep breath. "Whew…"

"So, which way should we go?" Azure asked, glancing around. "Just go with your gut feeling."

"Hmm… In that case…" Blitz responded, looking around once more before pointing to one of the paths. "Let's try going there again."

Following Blitz's lead, the group returned to one of the rooms they had visited a few times now in their attempts to find their way through the dungeon. As Blitz attempted to once again figure out where to go from there, a wild Pokémon resembling a crow wearing a top hat appeared.

"I'll deal with it!" Azure said, smirking as she faced the Murkrow.

The Murkrow flew out of the way as Azure tried to hit it with her bubble beam attacks. Once the Murkrow came closer for an attack, Azure used her rollout to move out of the way. She kept rolling faster and faster, trying to ram her opponent while it flew close to the ground. It was at this point that something unexpected happened. Once she had finally hit the Murkrow with her full force, Azure kept rolling at full speed towards a wall. However, instead of simply colliding with it, Azure disappeared into the wall.

"Whoa!" Sera exclaimed, her ears pointing upright in surprise. "Did you see that!?"

Blitz quickly walked over to the wall, curiously looking at it for a few moments before reaching into the treasure bag. Sera, Chiaki and the Sneasel watched as he took out a small seed and flung it through the wall.

"… Do you think…?" Chiaki asked, curiously looking at the wall.

"I guess it's worth a try at this point," Blitz said, looking at the others. "This might just be the path we need."

"Azure! Can you hear me?" Sera shouted at the wall. "Are you okay?"

The group waited a few moments for an answer. At first, there was nothing, but then a stream of bubbles suddenly shot out from the wall.

"Oh! I guess that's a yes!" Chiaki said, smiling.

"All right, let's get out of here," the Sneasel said, smirking.

The group gathered around the wall, and after a count of three, they leapt through the wall. It only took a moment before they reemerged from a particular spot on another wall in another room. Azure grinned as she saw the others arrive. A few other spots on the wall were also wet, suggesting that it took Azure a few tries to find the part of the wall that she had entered the room from when she used her bubble beam to send a signal.

"Hey guys!" Azure said, waving at them.

"Hi!" Chiaki responded, waving back.

"There are two paths leading out of this room," Azure said, pointing them out. "Since the stairs aren't in here, I'm guessing one of those paths might lead there."

"I see…" Sera said, looking at the two paths. "So… We just got to choose the right one…"

"Yeah, I think so," Azure responded, before handing the seed Blitz flung through the wall back to him. "Thought you might want this back."

Blitz put the seed back into the treasure bag, before taking a moment to watch the two paths.

"So, which one do you think we should choose?" Chiaki asked, glancing back and forth at the two paths.

"We'd better get it right…" the Sneasel said, sighing.

"If rollcall orbs worked here, we could just try both paths, and then the group that found the stairs could bring the others over…" Blitz mused, still trying to decide.

"Well, at least we do know the way now, so if we get sent back somewhere, we can just try again," Sera said.

"Yeah…" Blitz replied, nodding his head slightly.

"So, should we just flip a coin, or something?" Azure suggested.

After taking a moment to decide their path, the group were finally able to locate the stairs to the next floor. They had to get through two other floors, before reaching a floor where the distortion seemed fairly light compared to the previous floors.

"… All right, let's try this again," Blitz said, taking out the badge once more.

"I have a good feeling about this one!" Chiaki said, grinning.

"Please, let it work this time…" the Sneasel muttered, anxiously biting at one of his claws.

As Blitz lifted up the badge, a golden light began to emanate from it. Everyone's expressions brightened as the light shined on the Sneasel.

"Finally!" the Sneasel said, grinning. "I'll wait for you guys back at the HQ with your reward!"

"Okay, we'll see you there in just a moment!" Chiaki responded, nodding his head.

After the Sneasel had been safely teleported out of the dungeon, Blitz and his teammates gathered around the badge as they activated it one more time to leave the dungeon themselves and return to the rescue team HQ to pick up their reward. And with that, they had completed their mission.

"So… You guys wanna stop by the café?" Azure asked.

"Sorry, but I think I'll just head home for tonight," Blitz responded, shaking his head. "I want to try to finish writing that letter for Lita… Plus, since I didn't sleep too well last night, I should try to get to sleep a little earlier tonight."

"All right, fair enough," Azure replied, nodding slightly before looking over at Sera and Chiaki. "What about you guys?"

"I think I'll be heading home too," Sera responded. "I'm kind of worn out from all that stuff we went through today…"

"Yeah, that dungeon sure was something…" Chiaki said, rubbing the back of his head.

"I see," Azure replied. "Well, guess it's good bye for now, then! I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

And so, the team went their separate ways for the night. Azure went back to the café to assist her mother, as well as tell Frederick all about today's adventure. Sera was greeted by her older brother Flare as she returned home. And as Blitz and Chiaki returned home, Blitz immediately looked over at the unfinished letter lying on the floor and sat down in front of it to pick up where he had left off.

Chiaki lay down on his bed and listened for a while to the sound of Blitz's ink-covered paw carefully touching the paper, until finally…

"… There, that should do it," Blitz said, looking over the letter one more time.

"You're done?" Chiaki asked, looking over at Blitz.

"Yeah…" Blitz responded, cleaning the ink off of his paw again. "I think so."

"That's good," Chiaki said, smiling at Blitz.

"Mm-hm," Blitz replied, nodding his head. "When Santos stops by during his deliveries tomorrow, I'll have him take it with him."

Blitz let out a sigh of relief as he laid down on his bed. It seemed to take only a few moments before he fell asleep. Chiaki smiled and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep himself. He thought back to the mystery dungeon they had explored that day and wondered just how much worse the mystery dungeons that had been rendered inaccessible were. Were the wild Pokémon living in those dungeons okay?

_"… I shouldn't think about this now,"_ Chiaki thought to himself, letting out a sigh.  _"I don't think I'd be able to sleep if I did…"_

Of course, it was difficult to not think about it. Even so, Chiaki tried his best to push his worries out of his mind, so that he could get some rest and be ready for whatever he and his friends would do tomorrow. That was all he could do for now.

* * *

**End of Chapter 55**


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